Undergraduate Course: Geophysical Techniques for Terrestrial Environmental Applications (EASC10085)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 10 |
| Home subject area | Earth Science |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course will give students a flavour of geophysical techniques used to explore the shallow sub-surface, especially regarding contamination and pollution ¿ the methods available, how surveys are conducted, how the data are processed and modelled, and the interpretation.
The skills and field data acquired will be used in the (optional) Hydrogeology 3 course (replacing a synthetic data set). Students taking both will have a much better idea of the practicalities involved in understanding how groundwater contamination is monitored.
Students working subsequently for e.g. a local authority or environmental agency should be able to assess a proposal from a geophysical consultant to know if it is will address the problem at hand, is an appropriate method (or methods), if the survey is designed sensibly, and is reasonably costed. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 2, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: 30 |
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Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Course Start Date |
13/01/2014 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Please contact the School directly for a breakdown of Learning and Teaching Activities |
| Additional Notes |
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| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Please contact the School directly for a breakdown of Assessment Methods
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Ability to choose a method or methods for probing a specified environmental problem; know how to set up the survey and choose the survey parameters to best advantage; know how the survey is undertaken and the equipment used. Understand the resources required to collect and process the data.
2. Understand the processing steps required to produce an interpretable anomaly for each of the methods discussed. Know whether the information that can be obtained is qualitative or quantitative. Basic rules for interpreting depth to single-source anomalies. |
Assessment Information
| Exam (50%); report on field data (50%) |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Physical property contrasts (what properties, what contrasts) and the methods that probe them. Which techniques work well (and which work poorly) in given situations. How to choose survey parameters (e.g. profile spacing, sampling rate along profile).
Electromagnetic methods, including EM34, VLF
Resistivity, self-potential and induced polarisation/complex resistivity methods
Magnetics
Gravity
Ground probing radar
Seismic refraction
Field data acquisition, processing and interpretation
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| Transferable skills |
Group working (fieldwork); modelling to enhance basic computing (e.g. spreadsheet, graphics) skills |
| Reading list |
Reynolds, J M, An Introduction to Applied and Environmental Geophysics, Wiley-Blackwell |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
10 lectures and several half-days fieldwork (data acquisition) and computer laboratory-based simple processing, modelling and interpretation |
| Keywords | Geophysics, pollution detection and monitoring, site survey |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Kathy Whaler
Tel: (0131 6)50 4904
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Katie Galbraith
Tel: (0131 6)50 8510
Email: |
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