2013-2014 Graduate Catalog Downloadable PDF (10.71MB)

450 Course Descriptions/GeophysicsGeophysics(GEOP)611. Geomechanics. (3-0). Credit 3. Development of continuum mechanics and its application to rockdeformation; stress, strain, stress equilibrium, constitutive relations; governing equations for elasticsolids and viscous fluids formulated and used to solve elementary boundary-value problems which haveapplication to structural geology and solid-state geophysics. Prerequisite: MATH 221 or equivalent.615. Experimental Rock Deformation. (3-3). Credit 4. Results of laboratory testing of mechanical propertiesof rocks at high pressure and temperature; interaction of theoretical, experimental, petrofabricand field studies of rock deformations as applied to problems in structural geology, seismology andengineering; philosophy of experimentation, apparatus design, data interpretation and extrapolation.Prerequisite: GEOP 611 or GEOL 665 or approval of instructor.620. Geophysical Inverse Theory. (3-0). Credit 3. Inferences about Earth structure from geophysicaldata; explicit treatment of sparse and noisy observations; construction of smooth Earth models; linearinversion of marine magnetic anomalies from seafloor magnetization; smooth inversion of DCsounding data from electrical structure; seismic tomography and geodetic fault-plane reconstructions;advanced methods for nonlinear deterministic inversion. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.622. Petroleum Seismology II. (3-2). Credit 4. Sampling (wavefield sampling); F-K analysis (applicationsto dip filtering and migration); deconvolution (deterministic and predicative); velocity estimation andtomography (travel time inversion); imaging in time and depth (migration); Zoeppritz equations andAVO analysis. Prerequisite: GEOP 421 or approval of instructor.623. Petroleum Seismology III. (3-3). Credit 4. Seismic wave propagation in acoustic, isotropic and anisotropicmedia; description of point and distributed sources; the effect of depth, age; lithology, porosity,pore content and temperature on seismic velocity; use of amplitude versus offset measurements todetermine lithology and pore content; spatial resolution. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.628. Basin Architecture. (3-0). Credit 3. Tectonic classification of basins; tectonic mechanisms responsiblefor basin formation: mechanical behavior of the lithosphere; subsidence; geophysical signatures ofsedimentary basins; tectonic controls on sedimentation and basin filling; petroleum systems and basinscalehydrologic systems. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.629. Seismic Interpretation. (3-3). Credit 4. Introduces the problem of converting seismic properties ofreflection time, velocity, impedance, amplitude and phase to geologic parameters of lithology, structuresand stratigraphy using both models and real data. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.651. Theoretical Seismology. (3-0). Credit 3. Wave propagation in unbounded and bounded elastic media;seismic reciprocity and the elastodynamic representation theorem; radiation patterns from earthquakesources; body waves, Rayleigh waves, Stoneley waves, Love waves and Lamb waves; characteristic equationfor surface waves in a layered half-space; dispersion and phase and group velocities; methods ofstationary phase and steepest descents; Cagnaird-deHoop technique; ray theory in an inhomogeneousearth; inversion of travel times; viscoelastic wave propagation; normal modes of vibration of the earth.Prerequisite: GEOP 652 or approval of the instructor. (Offered in alternate years.)652. Earthquake Seismology. (3-0). Credit 3. Seismometry and earthquake precursors; mathematical theoryof elasticity and its application to earthquake studies; dissipation of elastic energy; seismic sources;earthquake risk; free modes of the earth; discrimination between underground nuclear explosions andearthquakes. Prerequisite: GEOP 421 or approval of instructor.655. Borehole Acoustic. (3-0). Credit 3. Introduces propagation of acoustic waves in boreholes, with applicationsto petroleum exploration and comparisons to other waveguide phenomena in the earth sciences;survey of full waveform acoustic logging and influence of borehole modes for crosswell and verticalseismic profile experiments; exercised in data analysis with industry software. Prerequisite: GEOP 421or GEOP 652 or approval of instructor.660. Physics of the Earth’s Interior. (2-3). Credit 3. Structure, composition and physical state of theEarth’s interior; constraints on models of the Earth imposed by seismic, gravity, heat flow, and electricalconductivity; thermodynamics and high pressure mineral physics; Earth’s motion and deformation;rheology. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.