Introducing Students to Environmental Geophysics in a Field Setting

Abstract

An introductory environmental geophysics short course targeted for traditional undergraduate geoscience students but that can be taken also for continuing education credit by practicing professionals is providing satisfying instruction for students via use of magnetometers, electromagnetic (EM) terrain conductivity meters, ground penetrating radar (GPR), direct current (DC) resistivity meters, a seismometer and an automated gravimeter. Geophysical anomaly mapping in this four-day course that is supported by the U.S. EPA and two academic institutions takes place over well-documented features such as movable targets, stationary buried targets and notable geological features. The course may be taken at either 1) a Mississippian limestone karst terrain site at Western Kentucky University (WKU) or 2) a mock hazardous waste site constructed in Wisconsin glacial outwash infilling a paleovalley incised into Silurian limestone at Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC) in northeastern Illinois. Undergraduate students taking this course learn not only content but also of potential employment opportunities because they get exposed to practicing professionals whom also may take this course. In lieu of large-scale curriculum changes in geology programs, this course serves as a model for augmenting existing curriculum by providing a technology-driven, educational experience requiring no pre-requisites.