57 Geoscience Education: Undergraduate (Posters)

USING HANDS-ON GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATIONS TO IMPROVE SCIENCE TEACHING

Paper number: 57-11
Program: THEME SESSIONS
Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Authors

  • Adam Spinner Presenting Author
    State Univ of New York College at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY
  • Frank Revetta
    State Univ of New York College at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY
  • Angela O'Shea
    State Univ of New York College at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY

Abstract

Geophysical investigations on campus provide an excellent and convenient way to teach field geophysics with hands on activities. Several examples are given of seismic reflection and refraction, electrical resistivity, magnetic and gravity investigations conducted by geology students on the soccer field at SUNY Potsdam. The geophysics course is essentially all field studies with jut a few hours each week for an introduction to the method and a discussion of the analysis and interpretation of the data. Many students will often use their knowledge and skills learned in the course to follow up with an undergraduate research project. Some even obtain work during the summer for geologic consultants or get summer grants to conduct research. Others use their research experience to obtain Masters of Science degrees at other colleges. During the past 10 years most of Northern and Western New York has had detailed gravity maps constructed of the area by students.

Samples of students' field investigations are presented. Gravity maps of New York, magnetic traverses, electrical resistivity surveys and seismic reflection and refraction case studies are shown. Magnetic surveying include both total intensity and gradiometer studies. Electrical resistivity surveys include the Wenner, Schlumberger, Lee Modification of Wenner, dipole-dipole methods. Seismic refraction surveys entail using various energy sources such as shotgun, sledgehammer and experiments with other energy sources. Seismic reflection surveys are conducted by using optimum offset, common midpoint and split spread methods. Studies of particle motion velocities of quarry blasts are presented that serve both the quarry owner and community. All of these methods provide a comprehensive course in field geophysics which is usually well received by students. The course develops an appreciation of geophysics by both science and non-science students.