GE106 - APPLIED GEOPHYSICS

courses
ID:
GE106
Duration (hours):
60
CFU:
6
SSD:
GEOFISICA APPLICATA
Located in:
CHIETI
Url:
GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES FOR RISKS, RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT/CORSO GENERICO Year: 1
Year:
2025
Course Catalogue:
https://unich.coursecatalogue.cineca.it/af/2025?co...

Overview

Date/time interval

Primo Semestre (22/09/2025 - 23/12/2025)

Syllabus

Course Objectives


The course has a twofold objective: on one hand, the student will acquire broad theoretical knowledge of the existing landscape of applied geophysical methods.
On the other hand, the student will take part in practical applications (field activities) aimed at gaining proficiency in some of the techniques covered (GPR, ERT, MASW/ReMi, HVSR, etc.). They will learn how to design a measurement campaign, carry it out, and process the acquired data to extract the desired information.
Finally, the student will learn how to build three-dimensional digital representations based on the obtained results.
In this course, we will exclusively use open-source (free) software in order to make the student immediately self-sufficient from a professional standpoint.

Course Prerequisites


Ability to solve integrals in one dimension. The ability to calculate the partial derivatives of a function of several variables. Understand what a differential equation is. Programming skills in Matlab or Python are NOT required, but highly desirable.

Teaching Methods


Lectures; demonstration of examples using simulated data; visualization and processing of real data using open-source software;Field data acquisition activities (ERT, GPR, MASW, and other approaches based on the propagation of elastic waves).

Assessment Methods


The exam will consist of two parts.
The first part will be a written multiple-choice test aimed at assessing the student’s general knowledge.
Students must successfully pass Part 1 before accessing Part 2. The second part will be an oral examination focusing in depth on three specific topics. All details regarding the oral exam will be provided by the instructor in the document titled “Exam Regulations.”The final grade will be expressed on a scale of 30.

Texts


Book in Italian: Lezioni di geofisica applicata, di G. Santarato, N. Abu Zeid, e S. Bignardi. Editore Libreriauniversitaria.it, ISBN-10 : 8862926405, ISBN-13 : 978-8862926409
Alternatively, textbooks in English available online:
* Fundamentals Of Geophysics, by William Lowrie, editor: Cambridge University Press. ISBN-13 978-0-511-35447-2; ISBN-10 0-511-35447-9
* An Introduction to Applied and Environmental Geophysics, By John M. Reynolds; editor John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.; ISBN 978-0-471-48535-3 (hardback); 978-0-471-485360 (paperback)

Contents


The course comprises the mathematical foundations, procedures, field application, and open-source software tools used in geophysical methods for non-invasive investigations.
Topics:
(1) Introduction:Structure, terminology, and workflow of a geophysical survey.
(2) Mathematical prerequisites:


Analysis and synthesis of signals in the frequency domain, Fourier theory. Convolution and Correlation; Digitization of analog signals, Aliasing.

Theoretical foundations of data inversion: Linear inversion; Multi-parameter regression; Global stochastic inversion methods; Local inversion methods; Ill-posed problems and regularization.

(3) Electromagnetic Methods and Their Classification:


Maxwell’s equations; Low-frequency electromagnetic methods; Time-domain electromagnetism; High-frequency EM methods.

Specific activity with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR): Theoretical aspects of GPR; Data acquisition (field activity); Processing of acquired data using open-source software.

(4) Electrical Methods:


Theoretical foundations: Vertical Electrical Soundings (VES); Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT); Induced Polarization; Self-potentials.

Specific activity with ERT: Data acquisition (field activity); Processing of acquired data using open-source software.

(5) Seismic Methods:


Theoretical foundations: Theory of elasticity in continua; Stress-strain relationship; Classification of seismic waves; Energy loss and spherical divergence; Laws of reflection and refraction of seismic waves; Head waves; Travel-time curves (“dromochrones”) of reflected and refracted waves; Surface waves.

Refraction Seismics;

Reflection Seismics;

Surface wave methods: SPAC, SASW, MASW, ESAC, ReMi, HVSR.

Specific activity with MASW, ReMi, and HVSR: Field data acquisition for MASW, ReMi, and HVSR (Nakamura method); Processing of acquired data using open-source software.

(6) 2D and 3D Modeling and Rendering:Creation/visualization of digital 3D subsurface models using open-source software.
(7) Gravimetric Method:


Laws of gravitation; Models of Earth’s gravity; Spheroid and Geoid; Instruments for gravity measurement and examples of gravimetric data; Calculation and interpretation of gravity anomalies; Isostasy; Interpretation of gravity maps; Gravity anomalies from irregular-shaped bodies; Implementation of a gravimetric survey.

(8) Magnetism:


Fundamental physical laws; Magnetic properties and behavior of solids; Magnetic hysteresis; Remanent magnetization; Magnetic field of a dipole; The Earth's magnetic field and its variations; Brief introduction to paleomagnetism. Methods and instrumentation for magnetic measurements; Noise sources; Examples of magnetic surveys.

Course Language

Italian

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