Geophysics

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Geophysics, the study of the earth by quantitative physical methods, especially by seismic reflection and refraction, geodesy, gravity, magnetic, electrical, electromagnetic, and radioactivity methods.

It includes the branches of:

• Seismology (earthquakes and elastic waves)
• Gravity and geodesy (the earth's gravitational field and the size and form of the earth)
• Atmospheric science, which includes:

• Atmospheric electricity and terrestrial magnetism (including ionosphere, Van Allen belts, telluric currents, Radiant energy, etc.)
• Meteorology and Climatology, which both involve studies of the weather.
• Aeronomy, the study of the physical structure and chemistry of the atmosphere.

• Geothermometry (heating of the earth, heat flow, volcanology, and hot springs)
• Hydrology (ground and surface water, sometimes including glaciology)
• Physical oceanography
• Tectonophysics (geological processes in the earth)
• Exploration and engineering geophysics
• Geophysical Engineering
• Geodesy

A related field is geochemistry.

Exploration geophysics is the practical application of physical methods (such as seismic, gravity, magnetic, electrical and electromagnetic) to remotely sense underground anomalies. The conventional application to this science is searching for mineral and petroleum deposits. However it can also be used in other areas such as monitoring environmental impact, imaging subsurface archeaological sites and interplanetary imaging. The Society of Exploration Geophysicists (seg.org) has the most recent update of the sciences and technologies of exploration geophysics (see also petroleum geology).

Exploration Geophysics careers are in such widely varying industries as oil & gas exploration, mining, environmental studies, planetary physics and even archaeology. Geophysics offers one of the most challenging (and lucrative) blend of advanced mathematics and physics.

See also

• Fluid dynamics
• Society of Exploration Geophysicists
• American Geophysical Union
• Important publications in geophysics(geology), important publications in Geophysics(physics)
• Physics

External links

• USGS Geomagnetism Program
• Case studies from TerraDat Geophysics documenting the use in shallow engineering and environmental applications

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