Undergraduate Course: Geophysical Investigation of Earth Resources (EASC10116)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course focuses on geophysical methods that are used for investigating the subsurface of the earth for resources such as minerals, ores, heat, water and hydrocarbons, and for observing fluids or gases injected into the subsurface for storage such as CO2, hydrogen or methane. Similar methods are deployed to image the deeper crust and mantle, to image vegetation and carbon stocks on Earth from satellites, to use acoustic energy for non-destructive testing of components produced by industrial processes, and for medical ultrasound imaging. In Geophysical investigations, physical properties of the resources that contrast with the background properties of the Earth determine the particular geophysical method that should be used to detect and evaluate them. |
| Course description |
The emphasis of the course is on high resolution extraction of physical properties of the Earth¿s subsurface from geophysical data.
Syllabus:
¿ Introduction to geophysical exploration for resources
¿ Determination of seismic velocities
¿ Revision of linear algebra
¿ Survey design methods
¿ Removal of multiple reflections in seismic data processing
¿ Geophysical time lapse methods
¿ Anisotropy in the Earth
¿ Seismic interferometry
¿ Zoeppritz equations
¿ Principles of seismic reflection interpretation and well ties
¿ Microseismics
¿ Controlled source electromagnetic methods (CSEM)
¿ Airborne magnetic exploration
The course includes practicals on seismic data processing using SEG-Y seismic data and seismic-industry software.
5 practicals (3 hours each) and 5 tutorials (3 hours each) are held on alternate weeks.
Students complete the practical work in their own time and are required to write a report on the data processing of not more than 4,000 words.
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Semester 1
Week Lecture Topic
1 Introduction to geophysical exploration for resources (MC).
2 Determination of seismic velocities (AZ)
3 No lectures. Students are doing Geophysics International Fieldwork.
4 Review of linear algebra (AC)
5 Survey design methods (AC)
6 Removal of multiple reflections in seismic data processing (AZ)
8 Geophysical time-lapse methods (AC)
9 Seismic interferometry (AC)
10 Principles of Seismic reflection interpretation and well ties (AZ)
11 Revision
Semester 2
Week Lecture Topic
1 Microseismics (MC)
2 Anisotropy in the earth (MC)
3 Zoeppritz equations (MC)
4. Controlled source electromagnetics for subsurface fluid detection (AZ)
5. Airborne magnetic exploration (AZ)
6. Revision
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Approval of CO |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the fit of geophysical methods to objectives concerning earth resources.
- Process seismic data using seismic-industry software.
- Write a seismic processing report.
- Read, understand and use professional literature.
- Appreciate the need for complementary techniques, including CSEM and microseismics.
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Reading List
Young, R.A, 2004, A lab manual of seismic reflection processing: EAGE Publications b.v, Houten, The Netherlands
Luk Ikelle and Lasse Amundsen, "Introduction to Petroleum Seismology", 2005, Society of Exploration Geophysicists |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1) Ability to process seismic data using seismic-industry software
2) Ability to write a seismic processing report
3) Ability to read, understand and use professional literature. |
| Keywords | Earth resources,geophysics |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Anton Ziolkowski
Tel: (0131 6)50 8511
Email: anton.ziolkowski@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Sarah Jones
Tel:
Email: sarah.jones@ed.ac.uk |
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