Geophysics
Geophysics,study ofearth by quantitative physical methods, especially by seismic reflectionrefraction, gravity, magnetic, electrical, electromagnetic,radioactivity methods.
It includesbranches of:
- Seismology (earthquakeselastic waves)
- Gravitygeodesy (the earth's gravitational field andsizeform ofearth)
- Atmospheric electricityterrestrial magnetism (including ionosphere, Van Allen belts, telluric currents, etc.)
- Geothermometry (heating ofearth, heat flow, volcanology,hot springs)
- Hydrology (groundsurface water, sometimes including glaciology)
- Physical oceanography
- Meteorology
- Tectonophysics (geological processes inearth)
- Explorationengineering geophysics
Exploration geophysics isuseseismic, gravity, magnetic, electricalelectromagnetic, etc., methods insearchoil, gas, minerals, water, etc., withobjectiveeconomic exploitation. The SocietyExploration Geophysicists (seg.org) hasmost recent update ofsciencestechnologiesexploration geophysics. (See also petroleum geology).
