Geophysics is a very broad science that has multiple applications. Thanks to geophysics, it has been possible to perform tomographies into the interior of the earth and describe its layers, it is applied in the search for natural resources in mining exploration and oil exploration.
It is also useful in the search for groundwater resources, has archaeological applications, can be applied with a focus on environmental geology in risk prevention, and is also widely used in civil engineering.
What is geophysics?
The geophysics is a science which is in charge of the study of the earth and its structure applying mathematical and physical methods, therefore, it is considered an indirect technique of study of the subsoil.
The geophysics It includes the study of all the microscopic properties of rocks and minerals, and even includes the understanding of various terrestrial processes such as the occurrence of weather and earthquakes.
Geophysics basically consists of the application of physics and mathematics to study the Earth, the oceans, the atmosphere and the near-Earth space. It is a very broad branch of geology that is supported by several other sciences such as: physics, astronomy, geology, environmental sciences, oceanography and meteorology.
The study of geophysics as a science and career It has played an important role in increasing the knowledge of all the physical processes that occur within the planet earth.
Geophysics as a career
When talking about the geophysics as a career, professionals graduate as geophysical engineers and are characterized by having very valuable skills in physics, mathematics, earth sciences, geology, geotechnics, geological engineering, geological exploration, management of specialized software and programming.
Where do geophysicists work?
Geophysicists are professionals who can work in various industries and in fact their knowledge is highly valued, below we describe the industries where they can work.
- The energy sector (hydrocarbons, hydroelectric, thermal, wind)
- Mining industry, for the exploration of metallic and non-metallic minerals
- In Research (universities and research institutes)
- Teaching (mathematics, physics, earth sciences and computer science) at the high school and university level
- Companies involved in the construction of tunnels, bridges and other large constructions.
- Public sector consultancy work (research departments, government)
- In groundwater exploration
- In volcanology and earthquake, tsunami and landslide monitoring centers
- In municipalities, in the area of risk management and land use planning
Importance of geophysics
The application of geophysics is fundamental to our understanding of the Earth, thanks to this we can know how the planet’s dynamics favor and against human beings. For example, today it is known that the movement of the external nucleus creates the magnetic field, which It protects from solar radiation, this is known thanks to geophysical methods.
Nowadays, geophysics is important because it has a lot of applications like:
- Mapping of large geological areas to increase our knowledge of the structure of the Earth.
- Location and recovery of resources such as hydrocarbons, minerals and groundwater.
- Cartography of possible CO2 deposits in the subsoil
- Monitoring of CO2 injections in the subsoil
- Mapping of the highest meters of the earth’s crust for tunneling, as well as potential locations for windmills and pipelines/cables on the ocean floor.
- Assess the risk of geohazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides.
- Mapping the consequences of global warming for permafrost regions in the Arctic
- archaeological studies
- Applications in civil engineering and geotechnics
The future of geophysics
As science and career geophysics It has an excellent future and its application will be more relevant. For example, the risk of fresh water scarcity in various places on our planet means that we need geophysical methods to locate groundwater.
Climate change is affecting glaciers and thanks to geophysical methods we can continuously monitor those changes.
Also the great growth of the world population demands the discovery of natural resources and mineral resources at a higher rate, and thanks to geophysics we can explore the subsoil much faster and more efficiently.
Finally, geophysics is going to play an important role in territorial planning to prevent the world population from being highly exposed to the possible occurrence of natural disasters.
Branches of geophysics
The main branches of geophysics are directly related to geophysical methods, the same ones that are listed below:
- electromagnetic methods
- gravimetry
- Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
- magnetometry
- electrical resistivity
- seismic methods
- Seismic reflection and refraction
- spontaneous potential «SP»
- Induced polarization «IP»
- Radiometric methods
- Well geophysics in the oil industry
Uses and applications of geophysics
Analyze the interior of the earth
Thanks to geophysics, it has been possible to perform a tomography of planet Earth, which is why it is known about the layers that make up the earth.
In addition, geophysics provides important data and information for the theory of plate tectonics and continental drift.
Search for natural resources
Due to the fact that geophysics is an indirect method, that is to say, exploration of natural resources can be carried out from the surface of the ground, it is considered to be a cheaper and more accessible method compared to direct exploration methods.
Because of that it is generally applied in previous or general exploration stages.
- Search for mineral deposits
- Search for oil and gas deposits
- The most widespread application is in the search for and use of groundwater
In civil engineering
It is used to carry out profiles of the terrain, that is to say that geophysics is used to have an idea about the physical properties of the materials where some type of civil work is going to be built or settled.
It also serves to detect structural failures inside buildings, for example in columns or foundations.
Therefore, the seismic method is the most applied in civil engineering.
Other apps
- Geological mapping: Geophysics is used for the geological characterization of large areas
- Prevention of geological hazards
- volcano monitoring
- earthquake monitoring
- Monitoring of slopes and old landslides
- Archaeology: For the detection of subsurface archaeological resources
Applied geophysics for prospecting
Geophysics is very important as an indirect prospecting method, which can be applied both in mining and in the oil field.
Regarding applied geophysics in mineral prospecting, it is important for the search of various metallic mineral deposits.
In this case the most applied methods are:
- regional magnetometry
- Regional gravimetric method
- induced polarization (IP)
- spontaneous potential (SP)
Regarding the geophysics that is applied in oil prospecting, the application of seismic methods is important.
- reflection seismic
- seismic refraction