Are you an EPFL student looking for a semester project?
Work with us on data science and visualisation projects, and deploy your project as an app on top of Graph Search.
Concept
Hydrogeophysics
Summary
Hydrogeophysics is a cross-disciplinary area of research that uses geophysics to determine parameters (characteristics; measurements of limitations or boundaries) and monitor processes for hydrological studies of matters such as water resources, contamination, and ecological studies. The field uses knowledge and researchers from geology, hydrology, physics, geophysics, engineering, statistics, and rock physics. It uses geophysics to provide quantitative information about hydrogeological parameters, using minimally invasive methods. Hydrogeophysics differs from geophysics in its specific uses and methods. Although geophysical knowledge and methods have existed and grown over the last half century for applications in mining and petroleum industries, hydrogeological study sites have different subsurface conditions than those industries. Thus, the geophysical methods for mapping subsurface properties combine with hydrogeology to use proper, accurate methods to map shallow hydrological study sites.
The field of hydrogeophysics developed out of a need to use minimally invasive methods for determining and studying hydrogeological parameters and processes. Determination of hydrogeological parameters is important for finding water resources, which is a growing need, and learning about water contamination, which has become relevant with the growing use of potentially hazardous chemicals.
The methods and knowledge of geophysics had been developed for mining and petroleum industries, which involve consolidated subsurface environments with high pressure and temperature. Since the subsurface environments in hydrogeological studies are less consolidated and have low temperature and pressure, combining geophysics with hydrogeology was necessary to develop proper geophysical methods that work for hydrological purposes.
Traditional hydrogeological methods for characterizing the subsurface usually involved drilling and taking soil samples from the site, which can disturb the study site, cost too much time or money, or expose researchers and people to harmful chemicals and contaminants.
Official source
About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.