USU Geology 5660/6660 Course Materials, Spring 2026

Course Syllabus

Announcements

  • Course Materials...
  • Lab 1 Mat'ls: Benson Park-n-Ride 3m Seismic Data (RAS-24 files):
    Forward profile
    Reverse profile
  • Xcel file for Gosport Attenuation estimation (Lab 2):
    Q_Lab2.xlsx
  • Lab 3 (Benson Park-n-Ride) Seismic Modeling Xcel Spreadsheet:
    E-W_Seismic.xlsx
  • Xcel file for Gosport Attenuation estimation (Lab 2 Key):
    Q_Lab2_Key.xlsx
  • Xcel file of Little Mountain gravity data (Lab 6):
    gravity.xlsx


  • FINAL PROJECT: due 5 pm Tuesday, April 28!
  • Your assignment! (Updated 15-Apr-13:45)
  • Dayton-Oxford Fault 3m Seismic Data (RAS-24 files):
    Forward profile
    Reverse profile
  • Excel Spreadsheet to model seismic arrivals in a faulted medium:
    E-W_Seismic.xlsx (Updated 16-Apr-12:55)
  • Smithfield Dry Canyon Magnetic Data File:
    SDC_Magnetic.xlsx
  • Dayton-Oxford Fault Magnetic Data File:
    Clifton_Mag_Data.xlsx



  • Class Meets MWF 2:30-3:20 in Geology 301B; Labs meet Wednesdays at 3:30 pm (same place)

    FINAL EXAM will be Monday, April 27 at 2:30 in Geo 301B!!!

    PowerPoint Lectures & Other Schedule Info:

  • 5 January: Overview of Geophysics & Geophysical Imaging
  • 7 January: Seismic Velocity; Huygen's Principle; Thought Exercise
  • 9 January: Overview of the Course
  • 12 January: Seismic Intro: Wave Types; Stress & Strain
  • 14 January: The Wave Equation (where it comes from)
  • 14 January: Looking Ahead: The Ghosts of Semester Projects Past
  • 16 January: Seismic Instrumentation
  • 21 January: Seismic Concepts: Snell's Law, Reflections, Refractions
  • 21 January (Lab): Travel-time Picking; Lab 1: Picking in RAS24
  • 23 January: Amplitudes: Partitioning, Geometrical Spreading
  • 26 January: Amplitude: Attenuation and Quality Factor Q; Multipathing
  • 28 January: Zoeppritz Equations
  • 28 January (Lab): Lab 2: Amplitudes and Attenuation Estimation
  • 30 January: AVO; The Refraction Method: Single Layer; Multiple Layers
  • 2 February: The Refraction Method: Dipping Layers; Limitations; Non-Ideal Layers
  • 4 February: Plus-Minus Method for Variable Thickness; The Seismic Reflection Method
  • 4 February (Lab): Review of Lab 1; Lab 3 Assignment (Refraction Seismic Modeling)
  • 6 February: NMO; Reflections for Multiple & Dipping Layers; x2-t2
  • 9 February: RMS-Velocity and Dix' Equations; NMO Revisited; Dip-NMO
  • 11 February: Some Practical Considerations (Multiples; Diffractions; Resolution; Frequency)
  • 13 February: Reflection Seismic Processing: Static Correction; Velocity Analysis; Common Mid-Point Stacking; Migration
  • 20 February: Reflection Seismic Processing: Depth Migration; Common Depth-Point Stacking; Interpretation
  • 20 February (Lab): Lab 4: Seismic Reflections
  • 23 February: Reflection Seismic Interpretation
  • 25 February: Reflection Seismic Interpretation
  • 27 February: Reflection Seismic Interpretation
  • 2 March: Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
  • 4 March: Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
  • 4 March (Lab): Review of Labs 2 & 3
  • 16 March: Gravity: Introduction
  • 18 March: Gravity: Measurement; Examples
  • 18 March (Lab): Lab 5: Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
  • 20 March: Gravity: Reduction
  • 23 March: Gravity: Reduction
  • 25 March: Gravity: Densities; Anomaly Modeling for a Sphere and Simple Shapes
  • 25 March (Lab): Lab 5: Gravity Reduction & Modeling
  • 27 March: Magnetism; Susceptibility
  • 30 March: Magnetics: Anomalies; Earth's Main Field
  • 1 April: Magnetics: Earth's Main Field
  • 3 April: Magnetics: Measurement & Reduction; Modeling
  • 6 April: Magnetics: Modeling; DC Resistivity: Introduction
  • 8 April: DC Resistivity: Rock Properties; Apparent Resistivity; Arrays & Modeling
  • 8 April (Lab): Review Lab 4
  • 10 April: DC Resistivity: Resistivity Pseudosections, Inversion, Examples
  • 13 April: Induced Polarization (IP); Self Potential
  • 15 April: Magnetotellurics (MT)
  • 17 April: Wireline Logging (Resistivity, IP, SP, Natural Gamma)
  • 20 April: Wireline Logging (Gamma-Gamma, Neutron, Sonic, VSP)
  • 22 April: Review of Labs 5 and 6