Why geophysics

Springer, Geophysics is the application of physics in geological sciences, and as such it is a vast science — or in fact, a collection of many disciplines, with both pure science and applied aspects. Specialty fields in geophysics are so advanced today that one person cannot claim to be an all-inclusive geophysicist but rather an acquisition seismologist, a paleomagnetist, or a uranium-lead geochronologist, and so forth.

This state of affairs has both pros and cons. It is good, because it shows the tremendous progress made in the geophysical sciences and technology. Bad for the same reasons: geophysics has become highly disintegrated and remotely distant from the grasp of a single researcher.

This state of affairs, which is true for all sciences, calls for bridges between the various disciplines of science, and in-depth encyclopedias play a crucial role. The Encyclopedia of Solid Earth Geophysics, published recently by Springer, nicely brings together numerous geophysical topics and presents this sometimes dry, mathematical and abstract field in a language comprehendible to researchers, teachers, students, and professional geophysicists.

Gravity and seismic surveys were employed in the oil industry as early as the s, and oil exploration has long been associated with geophysics.

Nevertheless, what particularly accelerated research in geophysics was the International Geophysical Year in You will learn to understand our world, so you can help safeguard its future. You will explore the properties and forces, small and large, that act on planetary or even inter-planetary scales, including:. We will train you in the fundamental physical principles and mathematical techniques of geophysics. You will learn to apply these techniques to diverse fields, for example:.

By studying this degree, you can play a vital role in our transition into a more sustainable society. Field trips are at the heart of this programme.

Your most important laboratory is the outside world, and we place a great deal of emphasis on delivering practical and field-based experiences in our Earth science degrees.

So you will have many opportunities to get your hands dirty. You will go beyond the classroom so you can apply the skills you have learned to real-life situations through our local and international field trips. Applying geophysical techniques and using equipment in the field is also fun, rewarding, and brings the subject to life. You will:. The locations and experiences of each trip will vary, enriching you with a broad understanding of how our planet works. On recent field trips, students have mapped the subsurface at sites of meteorite impacts and volcanic craters.

Edinburgh is an ideal location for geophysics, with many sites of interest right on your doorstep including the world-famous 'Hutton's Unconformity' at Siccar point, and the extinct volcano 'Arthur's Seat' right in the middle of Edinburgh city.

Our compulsory field trips or field courses are free, including travel and accommodation. Our Earth science degrees involve a significant element of field study. We are proud to be able to support you as you learn practical and highly prized skills.

Geophysics is both a practical and a theoretical subject and we want to enable you to explore both aspects. Our field trip locations and itinerary reflect that. Please note: As we update the programme to reflect advancing subject matter and student feedback, the location of our field trips may change. Field trips may also be changed due to Covid Where suitable, fieldwork will be relocated, rescheduled or alternative arrangements provided. Decisions will be made to safeguard the health and safety of our students, staff and community - and to ensure the highest standards of educational experience.

Visit our student blog, where students in the School of GeoSciences share their experiences of undergraduate study, living in Edinburgh and everything in between. Our degree programmes are flexible. This means you can easily switch between the different geophysics programmes at the start of your second year. This description is for the Geophysics BSc variant. You do not need to choose between these programmes when applying.

You can also make your degree an undergraduate masters Master of Earth Physics for each of these variants:. You will study a first year that is shared with all geophysics variants, introducing you to the foundations of:. You can also choose two option courses from a wide selection in the Schools of Physics and Astronomy, GeoSciences or elsewhere in the University. If you have direct entry to Year 2, you will take a specially tailored set of courses in the first semester, but join the standard programme in the second semester.

Your courses become more specific to geophysics and you will spend more time learning detailed skills. You will apply the skills you have acquired up to this point and take a week-long field trip to intensively explore a specific site. Your field trip will be shared with students from France and Germany.

Recent trips have included studies of meteorite impact and ancient volcanic craters, containing a variety of fascinating geophysical and geological structures. The trips move around various sites in Europe. If you know exactly what you want to do and are eager to get started on your career as soon as you can, then these focused pathway options might be for you.

Through this focused route, there is an inevitable reduction in course flexibility, as you will study the specialised courses of geophysics with fewer option courses. When starting your studies with us, you will join a student cohort who are commencing their second year Year 2 of study. However, there is no additional increase to your study workload. You will undertake the same number of courses in your first year as your Year 2 peers, but you will be completing the Year 1 and Year 2 compulsory courses within your first year.

This means you will have fewer option courses than your peers, but will still complete all of the required compulsory courses. You must be suitably qualified to apply for a focused pathway option also known as Year 2 Direct Entry or Second Year Entry.

To give you an idea of what you will study on this programme, we publish the latest available information. However, please note this may not be for your year of entry, but for a different academic year. The programme is delivered at sites on the Central and King's Buildings campuses. In some cases, teaching may be delivered at different sites.

You may also study at various University campus locations in the vibrant city of Edinburgh, depending on the option courses selected. In addition, the School's laboratories provide a personal workspace with computing and microscope facilities during your honours years.

Usually pressure waves are sent into the earth. These waves are then reflected back to the surface when they encounter boundaries between geological layers in the subsurface. Receivers on the earth's surface record the reflected waves, and we get an image of what the earth looks like underneath our feet. In addition to seismic data collection, geophysicists also use a variety of gravimetric, electrical, electromagnetic and magnetic methods to map and understand the structure of the earth.

Earthquakes also provide us with knowledge of the global Earth structure. Once structures in the subsurface are mapped by imaging methods, geophysicists can describe the processes that shaped these structures through the use of mathematical and numerical models.

In the future, the development and application of geophysical methods will become increasingly relevant. The risk of water shortages several places on Earth means that we need to find more groundwater aquifers. Climate change contributes to an increased risk for permafrost melting in Artic regions, and geophysical methods are used for mapping and monitoring the melting process. The continuous population growth on our planet also leads to an increased need for using geophysical methods for locating and developing natural resources so that a sustainable economy might be maintained.

The population growth also makes us more susceptible to natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis due to higher population density in vulnerable areas. Blog at WordPress. Follow Following. The British Geophysical Association Join 1, other followers. Sign me up. Already have a WordPress. Log in now. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.