Learning outcomes

At the end of the Teaching Unit, students will be able to : 


Explain the theoretical concepts associated with the various geophysical prospecting methods

Propose a few techniques that could be deployed for a given application or problem (civil engineering, hydrogeology, etc.), and justify their choice

Carry out an electrical sounding, a seismic sounding or an electrical tomography.

Goals

The aim of this course is to introduce a number of geological prospecting methods, understand their principles and be able to apply them to field activities.


 

Content

Lecture

  • 3h introduction to the applications of geophysical prospecting techniques
  • The rest of the course develops the theoretical concepts associated with each method (seismic and electrical methods will be described first, given their importance for practical work)

Practical and field work

  • 1 day of fieldwork (organized on weekdays if possible, Saturdays in case of force majeure)
  • 1 session of practical work (1h) to summarize field results and explain how to prepare the report.


Table of contents

Introduction to applications of geophysical prospecting techniques

Part 1 - Electrical prospecting

  • Reminder of the essentials of physics
  • Soil resistivity
  • Propagation of currents in soils
  • Interpretation of resistivity measurements
  • Electrical probing techniques

Part 2 - Seismic prospecting

  • Elasticity
  • Elastic waves
  • Reflection and refraction of elastic waves
  • Seismic sounding
  • Reflection sounding
  • Refraction sounding


Pre-requisites

General physics: Mechanics [SPHYB124]

Teaching methods

Lectures, labs and field work

Assessment method

  • Oral exam (theory) with written preparation (2/3 of final grade)
  • Field report (1/3 of final grade)


Language of instruction

French
Training Block Credits Mandatory
Bachelor in Physics 3 3 No
Bachelor in Mathematics 3 3 No