** DRAFT SYLLABUS**

Electromagnetic Methods in Geophysics

This course could be taught in the Spring quarter under SIO239 Special Topics in Geophysics, if there is sufficient interest.

Introduction and History.

Conduction in Rocks.

Measuring Conductivity.

Laboratory studies:
Experimental setup
Controlling polarization through AC current
Cole-Cole diagrams and impedance spectroscopy
Controlling the chemical environment
 
DC resistivity (Earth as a resistor):
Field practice and equipment
Half-space theory
1D theory and digital Hankel transforms
S and T equivalence
Elementary inverse techniques
- parameterized LS, regularized solutions, exact LS and the Bilayer solution
 
Self potential (Earth as a battery)
 
Induced polarization (Earth as a capacitor)
 
Magnetotelluric methods (Earth as an inductor):
Geomagnetic spectrum from 10^-15 to 10^6 Hz
Field practice and equipment
Half-space theory and the skin depth
1D theory, inversion, D+ solution
2D and 3D solutions, finite elements and differences
Response function estimation
 
Geomagnetic methods:
Banks and the P_1^0 approximation
Global sounding using observatory data
Local arrays, Parkinson vectors, spatial gradient method
The 'coast' effect
Satellites
 
Controlled source methods:
The many ways of coupling
Basic theory
Time versus frequency domain
Equipment and field practice
Borehole logging
 
Radar:
When the displacement current is used
Conductivity and permittivity
Propagation, attenuation
 
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Conductivity of crustal rocks:
Importance of water, water conductivity versus P, T, salinity
Role of conductive minerals, graphite, magnetite, illmenite
Melt in volcanic systems
 
The upper mantle:
Importance of olivine
Olivine conductivity versus P, T, Fe, O2
High pressure phases of olivine
Other minerals
 
The lower mantle:
Perovskite conductivity
 
The core
 

 

Special to SIO- Working in the Marine Environment