Course Title　　 Geophysics

Credits　　 3.5

Hours　　 72

Course Description

　　Geophysics is applied physics studying the Earth and its space environment. It adopts quantitative physical methods to observe and study the shape of the Earth, its gravitational and magnetic fields, its internal structure and composition, its dynamics and their surface expression in plate tectonics, the generation of magmas, volcanism and rock formation.
　　However, modern geophysics organizations use a broader definition that covers hydrological cycle including snow and ice; fluid dynamics of the oceans and the atmosphere; electricity and magnetism in the ionosphere and magnetosphere and solar-terrestrial relations; and analogous problems associated with the Moon and other planets.
　　Geophysics is a comprehensive field that integrates geology, mathematics and physics with a purpose to examine how the Earth works. Geophysicists study the processes of the Earth through a combination of laboratory experiments, computational and theoretical modeling, remote imaging and direct observation. Geophysics is a branch of the Earth sciences that uses quantitative physical methods to elucidate some aspects of the planetary system. Geophysics covers seismology, geodesy (size and form of the Earth), atmospheric science, study of the Earth’s magnetic field, geothermometry, hydrology, oceanography, tectonophysics and geodynamics (study of the inner Earth). The application of geophysics includes exploration and engineering geophysics, petrophysics, applied geophysics, and mineral physics.