Shallow Subsurface Imaging
Elizabeth Cochran
, cochran@ucr.edu
University of California, Riverside
a University with graduate programs, including doctoral programs
.Summary
This course covers techniques of geophysical investigation of the shallow subsurface as they apply to solving groundwater, environmental, archaeological, and engineering problems. Emphasizes methods, survey design, and interpretation with focus on case studies. Laboratory consists of both field training and computer exercises using geographic information systems for analysis of spatial data.
less than 15
Course Context:
This is an upper-division undergraduate applied geophysics course that is required for geophysics majors and optional for geology majors. Prerequisites include: intro geology, one year of calculus, one year of general physics, or by consent of instructor. The course has 3 hours of lecture and 3 hours of lab each week and a 2 day field trip.
Course Goals:
During the course students will:
1) Acquire data using several different geophysical techniques
2) Process data both acquired during the course and that someone else has acquired
3) Quantitatively interpret and model subsurface structure
4) Make geological inferences from your physical model and ensure that the model is realistic
5) Work as an individual as in teams on different aspects of a project
6) Practice and/or learn various general and scientific skills
1) Acquire data using several different geophysical techniques
2) Process data both acquired during the course and that someone else has acquired
3) Quantitatively interpret and model subsurface structure
4) Make geological inferences from your physical model and ensure that the model is realistic
5) Work as an individual as in teams on different aspects of a project
6) Practice and/or learn various general and scientific skills
How course activities and course structure help students achieve these goals:
This course covers techniques of geophysical investigation of the shallow subsurface as they apply to solving groundwater, environmental, archaeological, and engineering problems. Emphasizes methods, survey design, and interpretation with focus on case studies. Laboratory consists of both field training and computer exercises using geographic information systems for analysis of spatial data.
During the quarter you will acquire data at several field locations in southern California. It is likely that we will acquire more data than is feasible to process in the course, but you will gain experience working with several types of geophysical equipment. We will focus on several geophysical techniques that include shallow seismic refraction, gravity, resistivity, magnetic and EM.
Assessment will be based on a combination of homework that will emphasize the material covered in lecture. The homework assignments are useful preparation for the field portion of the course. In addition, assessment will be based on a final technical report will be due in which you process and interpret the data from several geophysical techniques at one locale.
During the quarter you will acquire data at several field locations in southern California. It is likely that we will acquire more data than is feasible to process in the course, but you will gain experience working with several types of geophysical equipment. We will focus on several geophysical techniques that include shallow seismic refraction, gravity, resistivity, magnetic and EM.
Assessment will be based on a combination of homework that will emphasize the material covered in lecture. The homework assignments are useful preparation for the field portion of the course. In addition, assessment will be based on a final technical report will be due in which you process and interpret the data from several geophysical techniques at one locale.
Skills Goals
Quantitative abilities
Student writing
Student writing
How course activities and course structure help students achieve these goals:
See statement above
Assessment
Syllabus:
Syllabus (Acrobat (PDF) 15kB Jun19 07)