Exploration Geology

PAOLO CIAMPI

Developing competences and expected learning outcomes

Educational goals: The aim of the course is to focus the student’s ability on the employment of geophysical methods to solve problems related to the near surface geophysics and applied geology.

Learning outcomes: The students will enhance their ability on the interpretation of the different geophysical data sets to solve the problems related to the near surface geophysics and applied geology.

The student will be equipped to plan geophysical surveys in various geological contexts, as well as to analyze and interpret, at a preliminary level, geophysical data to address different environmental, territorial, and near-surface issues.

Basic knowledge of mathematics, physics, Earth sciences, structural geology, applied geology, and hydrogeology.

• Introduction to Applied Geophysics: Overview of geophysical survey techniques. Active and passive methods. Fields of application. The forward and inverse problem in applied geophysics.
• Gravimetric Method: Principles and applications. The Earth's gravitational field; relative measurement of the gravitational field; techniques for conducting gravimetric surveys; data correction and processing, calculation and filtering of anomalies; interpretation.
• Magnetic Method: The Earth's magnetic field. Rock magnetization. Measurement techniques in magnetometry. Magnetometers. Magnetic field generated by magnetized bodies with spherical symmetry. Interpretation of magnetic anomalies. Examples of magnetic survey applications for the detection of buried bodies in archaeological areas.
• Electrical Methods: Conduction mechanisms in rocks: metallic conductors, semiconductors, dielectrics, solid and liquid electrolytes. The resistivity of rocks. General equations: Archie's law. Direct current geoelectrical survey: resistivity method, principles, and applications; Self-Potential Method, principles and applications; Induced Polarization Method, principles and applications.
• Electromagnetic (EM) Methods: Electromagnetic theory review. Induction-based EM methods. VLF analysis-based methods. Impulse energization methods. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR). Measurement execution, data processing, and interpretation; application examples.
• Seismic Methods: Nature, characteristics, and propagation of elastic waves; refraction method; reflection method; surface waves, active and passive techniques, HVSR and MASW, applications.
• Hydrogeophysics: The contribution of Applied Geophysics in the characterization of subsurface water resources. Applications in hydrogeological and environmental issues, including the characterization of contaminated sites and the study of areas with high natural and/or environmental risk. Direct-push surveys for high-resolution characterization (MIP, LIF). Practical examples.
• Illustration of instrumentation and acquisition methods, analysis, processing, and interpretation of geophysical data for the study of real-world cases.

Materials provided by the lecturer and shared on the Google Classroom platform.
Literature and bibliographic material made available during the course.
Reference Text: Introduction to Applied Geophysics by H.R. Burger, A.F. Sheehan, C.H. Jones, W.W. Norton & Company; ISBN: 0393926370.

Lectures: 40 hours;
Exercises: 12 hours.

Attendance: Not mandatory but recommended.

The first part of the oral exam involves the production and discussion of a brief presentation on a case study related to a specific topic, chosen by the student from the various themes and geophysical investigation techniques covered during the course. The second part focuses on assessing the theoretical knowledge acquired throughout the course. The evaluation takes into account the content, the quality of the presentation, and the student's skills in planning geophysical surveys and interpreting geophysical data and anomalies.

Open questions regarding the case study selected by the student and the topics covered during the lectures. These questions will require well-reasoned answers aimed at demonstrating the student's level of understanding in the application and interpretation of various geophysical techniques, as well as their critical thinking, judgment, and communication skills.

• Introduction
  to Applied Geophysics: Overview of geophysical prospecting techniques.
  Active and passive methods. Fields of application. The direct and inverse
  problems in applied geophysics. (4 hours)


• Gravimetric
  Method: Principles and applications. The Earth's gravitational field;
  relative measurement of the gravitational field; techniques for conducting
  gravimetric surveys; data correction and processing, calculation and filtering
  of anomalies; interpretation. (4 hours)


• Magnetic
  Method: The Earth's magnetic field. Rock magnetization. Measurement
  techniques in magnetometry. Magnetometers. Magnetic field generated by
  spherically symmetric magnetized bodies. Interpretation of magnetic anomalies.
  Examples of magnetic prospecting applied to the detection of buried structures
  in archaeological areas. (4 hours)


• Electrical
  Methods: Conduction mechanisms in rocks: metallic conductors,
  semiconductors, dielectrics (insulators), solid and liquid electrolytes. Rock
  resistivity. General equations: Archie's law. Direct current (DC) geoelectrical
  prospecting: resistivity method, principles and applications. (8 hours)


• Electromagnetic
  (EM) Methods: Fundamentals of electromagnetism. Induction-based EM methods.
  Very Low Frequency (VLF) methods. Time-domain (impulsive) methods. Ground
  Penetrating Radar (GPR). Data acquisition, processing, and interpretation.
  Spontaneous Potential (SP) method, principles and applications; Induced
  Polarization (IP) method, principles and applications; examples of application.
  (6 hours)


• Seismic
  Methods: Nature, characteristics, and propagation of elastic waves;
  refraction method; reflection method; surface waves, active and passive
  techniques, MASW methods, applications. (8 hours)


• Hydrogeophysics:
  The contribution of Applied Geophysics to the characterization of subsurface
  water resources. Applications to hydrogeological and environmental studies,
  including site characterization in contaminated areas and in regions with high
  natural and/or environmental risk. Direct-push investigations for
  high-resolution characterization (MIP, LIF). Practical examples. (6 hours)


• Instrumentation
  and Data Analysis: Presentation of geophysical instruments and techniques
  for data acquisition, analysis, processing, and interpretation applied to real
  case studies. (12 hours)