Geophysical Engineering & Geophysics
Program Description
Geophysics is an interdisciplinary field — a rich blend of geology, physics, math, computer science, electrical engineering and more. Geophysicists and geophysical engineers create images of what is inside the Earth (or Mars or other planetary bodies) in the same way that medical doctors create images of the inside of the human body.
There are only two geophysical engineering programs in the entire United States that are accredited by ABET — the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Mines has the largest of those programs. Yet, relative to other departments on the Mines campus, the Department of Geophysics is small and friendly. There are generally about 20 students in each undergraduate class. Students receive individual attention in an informal, supportive environment.
Beyond the Classroom
The best way to learn geophysics is by doing it. Therefore, the most popular aspect of geophysics classes is hands-on use of equipment in laboratories and in the field. In the summer after their junior year, students attend a month-long field camp at the base of stunningly beautiful Mount Princeton where they apply a large assortment of geophysical methods to explore for water, geothermal energy and other targets. Geophysics undergraduates are encouraged to study abroad at least one semester during their program at Mines. There are universities in Europe, Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand where Mines geophysics students can spend a semester pursuing courses that keep them on pace with the curriculum back home.
Career Paths
Geophysics is used to explore beneath the surface of the earth for water, oil and gas, and minerals. Geophysics is also used to characterize subsurface volcanic systems and regions of faulting that are prone to earthquakes. Geophysical engineering graduates from Mines are in very high demand. They are hired by the petroleum industry to explore for oil and gas; by the water industry to characterize subsurface aquifers; by environmental companies to detect and map subsurface contaminants; by geotechnical engineering companies to characterize the subsurface in advance of tunneling or large-scale excavation and construction; by the mining industry to discover new mineral deposits and by NASA to explore other planets.
Geophysics graduates from Mines often proceed into a variety of closely related fields, such as volcanology, earthquake seismology, planetary exploration, glaciology, oceanography, and meteorology. Undergraduate students who do well at Mines have no problem getting accepted into graduate programs at other big name universities.
For more information, see the Geophysics Department web site.