Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
- assess a geophysical model/image in terms of its information content and resolution
- design and execute a small scale geophysical survey appropriate to the geological problem under investigation.
- understand the interrelationship between geology and geophysics in the wider Earth science context.
Indicative Module Content:
A number of geophysical techniques and their applications will be dealt with within the course: gravimetry, magnetometry, electrical methods, low-frequency electromagnetic methods, seismic methods and geo-penetrating radar (GPR). The course will comprise lectures, practical exercises, guest lectures given by industry partners. and field-measurements. The field measurements will be carried out in Phoenix Park. The collected data will be processed and interpreted.
A) Topics covered (lectures):
Introduction to Geophysics
Potential field techniques: gravity and magnetic surveys
Guest lecture: Monitoring volcanoes using geophysics
Guest lecture: Airborne geophysics (GSI/Tellus)
Electrical and electromagnetic methods
Seismic wave propagation
Seismic refraction methods
Seismic reflection methods
Borehole geophysics
Magnetotellurics
Geopenetrating radar (GPR)
Integration of multiple geophysical datasets
Geophysics in hydrocarbon industry
Using Geophysics/Geology when building bridges
B) Practical work and field-measurements:
Exercises on Gravity and Magnetic data
Exercises on Electrical and Electromagnetic data
Exercises on Seismic methods
Gravity and magnetic data collection over geophysical anomaly
Electrical resistivity data collection over geophysical anomaly
Seismic refraction data collection over geophysical anomaly
Magnetotelluric and GPR data collection over geophysical anomaly
Collation and interpretation of the collected data