Classroom, Lab and Field Exercises in Geophysics

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Earthquake Epicenter Location Exercise using Google Earth and OneNote part of Workshop 07: Activities
Jeffrey Nunn, Louisiana State University
Students are provided with data from 4 seismograms which are used to plot the epicenter of an earthquake using OneNote to pick the P-S wave arrival gap and Google Earth to plot the circles which intersect at the ...

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Interpretation of plate boundaries from topography, bathymetry, volcanoes, and earthquake focal depths using Google Earth and OneNote part of Workshop 07: Activities
Jeffrey Nunn, Louisiana State University
Students are provided with data on topography, bathymetry, locations of earthquakes and volcanoes and earthquake focal depths in Google Earth. They are asked to plot a cross-section of topography/bathymetry and ...

Find the UST with GPR part of Workshop 07: Activities
William Montgomery, New Jersey City University
Field-based activity that uses GPR to find an underground storage tank (UST). Optionally, data provided with the activity enables lab or class use as well. Activity can be enhanced with use of GPS unit that takes ...

Looking for Gas Layers in Anadarko Basin, Oklahoma part of Workshop 07: Activities
Constantin Cranganu, CUNY Brooklyn College
The students perform a well log analysis in order to discover gas-bearing layers in a sedimentary basin (Anadarko)

Learning how to use resistivity soundings for interpretation of subsurface stratigraphy part of Workshop 07: Activities
Remke Van Dam, Michigan State University
This activity uses a combination of field measurements, lab experiments and simple modeling to develop an understanding of electrical resistivity methods as a tool in geology and hydrology. Students work in groups ...

Groundwater Depth and Fracture Pattern Determination part of Workshop 07: Activities
Lawrence L. Malinconico, Lafayette College
Learning to use the resistivity methodology for both vertical profiling and horizontal mapping.

Gravity and Magnetic Consulting Project part of Workshop 07: Activities
Lawrence L. Malinconico, Lafayette College
This project involves the design, implementation, data collection, analysis and report writing for gravity and magnetic survey conducted over a two month period during the course.

Using Geophysical Field Studies as the Focus for Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in an Introductory Geophysics Course part of Workshop 07: Activities
Paul Kelso, Lake Superior State University
Using field geophysics projects as the focus of problem based learning activities in an introductory geophysics course provides students with the opportunity to work and think as geophysicists. Students are ...

Geophysics in the community part of Workshop 07: Activities
Jackie Caplan-Auerbach, Western Washington University
In this activity students develop independent or small group research projects in collaboration with local community organizations, or with the goal of investigating a topic relevant to the greater community. This ...

Geophysics of the News part of Workshop 07: Activities
Laurie Brown, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
The is a project to present. both orally and written, information on the Plate Tectonics setting of a geographic region in the news. Emphasis is on the geophysical studies/results from the region, but plate ...

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Atlantic City Mapping Project part of Workshop 07: Activities
Peter Knoop, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
The Atlantic City project combines magnetic and gravimetric surveys with standard geological field mapping techniques. Lack of outcrops and Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) are a key features of the mapping area, and ...

Measuring the Inclination and Declination of the Earth's magnetic field with a smartphone part of Cutting Edge:Enhance Your Teaching:Teaching with Online Field Experiences:Activities
Avradip Ghosh, University of Houston-University Park
The poles of the Earth's magnetic field are not precisely aligned with the geographic north and south poles and, in fact, vary continuously. This activity introduces to students the Earth's magnetic ...

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Karst Hydrogeology: A virtual field introduction using Google Earth and GIS part of Cutting Edge:Enhance Your Teaching:Teaching with Online Field Experiences:Activities
Rachel Bosch, Northern Kentucky University
Students will have the opportunity to select and virtually explore the hydrogeology and geomorphology of a karst landscape using Google Earth, lidar data-sourced DEM(s) and geologic maps, and GIS software (QGIS) ...

Online Field Experience Exemplary Collection This activity is part of the Teaching with Online Field Experiences Exemplary collection
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Landslide Mapping and Analysis part of Cutting Edge:Enhance Your Teaching:Teaching with Online Field Experiences:Activities
Alison Duvall, University of Washington-Seattle Campus
The purpose of this module is to familiarize students to empirical methods of mass movement hazard analysis, to provide them training in mapping and analyzing inventories of landslides from lidar datasets, and to ...

Structure from Motion for Analysis of River Characteristics part of Cutting Edge:Enhance Your Teaching:Teaching with Online Field Experiences:Activities
Sharon Bywater-Reyes, University of Northern Colorado; Beth Pratt-Sitaula, EarthScope
In this assignment, students conduct a Structure from Motion (SfM) survey of the Sheep Draw field site along the Poudre River near Greely, CO. The end product is a point cloud used in additional assignments to ...

Point Cloud and Raster Change Detection part of Cutting Edge:Enhance Your Teaching:Teaching with Online Field Experiences:Activities
Sharon Bywater-Reyes, University of Northern Colorado; Beth Pratt-Sitaula, EarthScope
In this assignment, students difference point cloud and raster data sets to compare structure from motion (SfM) and terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) results. They interpret error in these methods used for ...

OpenTopography Data Sources and Topographic Differencing part of Cutting Edge:Enhance Your Teaching:Teaching with Online Field Experiences:Activities
Sharon Bywater-Reyes, University of Northern Colorado
In spring 2020, the world was hit by a pandemic that spread globally by March, causing universities and most of the world to move to remote means. Summer field camps, long hailed as a rite of passage in the ...

Taking the Pulse of Yellowstone's "Breathing" Volcano part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, , and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Beth Pratt-Sitaula, EarthScope; Shelley E Olds, EarthScope Consortium
In this activity, students learn about volcanism in Yellowstone National Park, focusing on its history of eruptions, recent seismicity, hydrothermal events, and ground deformation. They learn how scientists monitor ...

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Structural Geology 'Research' Conference part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, , and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Julie Willis, Brigham Young University-Idaho
In this assignment students read and discuss a peer-reviewed journal article and prepare for and attend our class 'research' conference. In the conference they present on an area of current research as ...

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Crust-Busting Faults part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, , and Tectonics 2012:Activities
George Davis, The University of Arizona
Each student independently researches a major ancient or active regional fault, which she/he has selected from a list provided by the instructor. Each student prepares text and figures that present location, ...

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