Hazards Geophysics

Photo: NASA/JPL
What is Hazards Geophysics?
- Hazards Geophysics quantifies and monitors with high temporal and spatial density the causes and distribution of Earth hazards (earthquakes, volcano eruptions, tsunamis, landslides).
Image left: On Oct. 23, 2011, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck eastern Turkey, near the city of Van, the result of the collision between the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates. (NASA/JPL)
Studying hazards as a geophysicist bridges the intersection between the natural sciences, geotechnical engineering, and humanitarian efforts. You can study landslide mitigation, early warning earthquake detection, unexploded ordinance location, and much more. You learn to model Earth’s complex systems using a variety of techniques from satellites to drones to ground-based instruments. The models you produce inform proper land use and emergency response planning decisions resulting from a natural disaster. In this field of study, there are plenty of opportunities to go into the field and the skills you learn can be applied to the mining, geotechnical, civil, and environmental engineering world.
Explore the Work
Components of the Track
Geophysics Courses
- GPGN 420 Electrical & Electromagnetics
- GPGN 470 Remote Sensing
- GPGN 455 Earthquake Seismology