ALLEN, Timothy T., Dept. of Geology, Mailstop 2001, Keene State College, Keene, NH 03435-2001, tallen@keene.edu
Geophysical techniques for investigating and understanding the earth's subsurface are a significant component of my upper-level "Environmental Geology" course, taught to an audience of Environmental Studies and Geology students. My approach in this course is to look at the geological, geophysical, and hydrological tools and techniques that geoscientists use to gather information about the environment -- both how they work but also what their limitations are. The course includes a field-based laboratory through which the students are introduced to geologic mapping and collecting ground-water samples, among other topics. With the use of borrowed equipment, we have also been able to conduct seismic refraction experiments and map magnetic field intensity. We further discuss in class how such information can be used in engineering and planning contexts and for resource exploration, as well as the role of geophysical studies in understanding and evaluating geologic hazards.
The course does not have a physics pre-requisite, and it is not intended to be a substitute for a full course in Geophysics. We are not able to look at underlying physical principles in a quantitative sense. The course does, however, provide a conceptual and contextual introduction to some aspects of geophysics, and has prompted some of my students to further pursue geophysics as part of their graduate education.
1997 Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 29(6): A368.