geophysics n : geology that uses physical principles to study properties of the earth [syn: geophysical science]

English

Noun

1. A branch of earth science dealing with the physical processes and phenomena occurring in the earth and in its vicinity.

Translations

See also

• meteorology
• oceanography
• seismology

Geophysics, a major discipline of Earth sciences, is the study of the Earth by quantitative physical methods, especially by seismic, electromagnetic, and radioactivity methods. It calls heavily upon other fields of science such as math, physics, and computer science.History of geophysics has been motivated by theoretical and practical isues. The term of geophysics was probably first used in Germany, where it appeared in scientific writings of the mid-19th century. The word geophysics was first used by Fröbel as "geophysik" in 1834. The theories and techniques of geophysics are employed extensively in the planetary sciences in general.

The field of geophysics includes the branches of:

• Seismology (earthquakes and elastic waves)
• Gravity and geodesy (the Earth's gravitational field and the size and form of the Earth)
• Atmospheric science, which includes:

• Atmospheric electricity and terrestrial magnetism (including ionosphere, Van Allen belts, telluric currents, Radiant energy, etc.)
• Meteorology and Climatology, which both involve studies of the weather.
• Aeronomy, the study of the physical structure and chemistry of the atmosphere.

• Geomagnetism (study of the Earth's magnetic field)
• Geothermometry (heating of the Earth, heat flow, volcanology, and hot springs)
• Hydrology (ground and surface water, sometimes including glaciology)
• Physical oceanography
• Tectonophysics (geological processes in the Earth)
• Geodynamics (numerical study of the inner Earth)
• Exploration and engineering geophysics (see also Archaeological geophysics)
• Geophysical Engineering
• Glaciology
• Petrophysics
• Applied geophysics
• Mineral Physics
• Engineering geology
• Archaeological geophysics

References

See also

portal Physics

• Fluid dynamics
• Society of Exploration Geophysicists
• American Geophysical Union
• European Geosciences Union
• Important publications in geophysics(geology)
• important publications in Geophysics(physics)

External links

• USGS Geomagnetism Program
• Case studies from TerraDat Geophysics documenting the use in shallow engineering and environmental applications

Newtonian physics, acoustics, aerophysics, applied physics, astrophysics, basic conductor physics, biophysics, chemical physics, cosmical geology, cryogenics, crystallography, cytophysics, dynamic geology, electron physics, electronics, electrophysics, geodesy, geodetics, geodynamics, geognosy, geographics, geography, geological chemistry, geological engineering, geology, geomorphogeny, geomorphology, geoscopy, geotectonic geology, historical geology, hydrogeology, macrophysics, mathematical physics, mechanics, medicophysics, microphysics, mineralogy, mining geology, natural philosophy, natural science, nuclear physics, optics, paleontological geology, pedology, philosophy, physic, physical chemistry, physical geography, physical geology, physical science, physicochemistry, physicomathematics, physics, physiographic geology, physiography, psychophysics, radiation physics, radionics, soil mechanics, soil science, solar physics, solid-state physics, statics, stereophysics, stratigraphic geology, stratigraphy, theoretical physics, thermodynamics, zoophysics