Please wait while we load your article...

Home > Geophysical

Learn more about "Geophysical"

Geophysics

'''Geophysics''', a major discipline of the Earth science|Earth sciences, is the study of the Earth by the quantitative observation of its physical properties, especially by Seismology|seismic, Electromagnetism|electromagnetic, Radioactive decay|radioactivity, galvanic (electricity|electrical) and potential field (such as gravity and magnetism) methods. Geophysics can therefore be seen as the intersection of geology and physics. It calls heavily upon other fields of science such as mathematics and computer science. The theories and techniques of geophysics are employed extensively in the planetary science|planetary sciences in general.

Fields and related disciplines

Fields which are part of or related to geophysics include:
- Geodesy, the study of the Earth's gravity|Earth's gravitational field and the size and form of the Earth
- The study of large-scale movements of the Earth's Plate tectonics|tectonic plates and the processes driving and resulting from them, including:
- * Tectonophysics, the study of geodynamic processes and deformations on all scales
- * Geodynamics, numerical study of the inner Earth
- * Seismology, the study of Earthquake|earthquakes and the propagation of elastic Seismic wave|waves through the Earth
- :* Most of our knowledge of the Structure of the Earth derives from seismology
- * Volcanology, the study of volcano|volcanoes, together with hot springs and, more widely, heating and heat flow within the Earth
- Geomagnetism, the study of the Earth's magnetic field, including its origin, Telluric current|telluric currents driven by the magnetic field, the Van Allen radiation belt|Van Allen belts, and the interaction between the magnetosphere and the solar wind
- Atmospheric sciences, which includes:
- * Atmospheric electricity and the ionosphere
- * Atmospheric physics|Aeronomy, the study of the physical structure and chemistry of the atmosphere.
- * Meteorology and Climatology, which both involve studies of the weather.
- The study of water on the Earth, hydrology, physical oceanography and glaciology
- Geophysical_survey|Geophysical surveying:
- * Exploration geophysics|Exploration and engineering geophysics, using surface methods to detect or infer the presence and position of concentrations of ore minerals and Hydrocarbon|hydrocarbons
- * Archaeological geophysics, for archaeological imaging or mapping
- Geological and geophysical engineering and Engineering geology, applying geophysics to the engineering design of facilities including roads, tunnels, and mines
- The study of the rocks and minerals, including petrophysics and aspects of mineralogy such as Mineralogy#Physical_mineralogy|physical mineralogy and Mineralogy#Crystal_structure|crystal structure

History of geophysics

The development of geophysics has been motivated by many theoretical and practical issues. The term of geophysics was probably first used in Germany, where it appeared in scientific writings of the mid-19th century. The word geophysics was first used by FröbelBuntebarth, G. (1981) "Zur Entwicklung des Begriffes Geophysik", Abhandlungen der Braunschwiegischen Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft 32, 95-109 Beck, H. (1961) Alexander von Humboldt, 2 Vols (Wiesbaden: Steiner) as "geophysik" in 1834.

References

External links

- USGS Geomagnetism Program
- Case studies from TerraDat Geophysics documenting the use in shallow engineering and environmental applications Category:Geophysics Category:Physics

Related Images

Sources: StartLearningNow, Wikipedia | Usage license: GNU FDL

Welcome to Start Learning Now. Explore to your heart's content, and we hope you enjoy reading the material we have assembled for you here!

Related News

Further Resources


	home lucky pick

Related Resources