What is “Environmental” Geophysics?
Definition: The non-invasive investigation of subsurface conditions in the Earth through measuring, analyzing and interpreting physical fields at the surface. Some studies are used to determine what is directly below the surface (the upper meter or so); other investigations extend to depths of 10’s of meters or more. Methods Employed: Ground penetrating radar (GPR), seismic reflection and refraction, DC resistivity, electromagnetic induction, gravity and magnetics. Data from the field are interpreted using mathematical models generated using in-house and commercial desktop computer algorithms. Applications to Groundwater and Hydrogeology: Surface geophysics is often used to characterize subsurface conditions for engineering, geologic and hydrogeologic investigations – a favorite application is determining the depth to bedrock beneath unconsolidated soils. Geophysics can also detect and quantify the presence of water in the subsurface, from partially saturated conditions near the surfac
