SubjectsSubjects(version: 996)
Course, academic year 2026/2027
   
Application of geophysical methods - MG452C58
Title: Aplikace geofyzikálních metod
Czech title: Aplikace geofyzikálních metod
Form of teaching: practicals
Guaranteed by: Institute of Hydrogeology, Engineering Geology and Applied Geophysics (31-450)
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Actual: from 2026
Duration in semesters: 1
Semester: winter
E-Credits: 4
Examination process: winter s.:
Hours per week, examination: winter s.:0/4, C [HT]
Capacity: unlimited
Maximum number of enrolled students: unlimited
Min. number of students: unlimited
4EU+: no
Virtual mobility / capacity: no
State of the course: taught
Language: Czech
Note: enabled for web enrollment
priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
Guarantor: RNDr. Petr Tábořík, Ph.D.
Incompatibility : MG452P58
Annotation -
Course Annotation

The course provides a cross-disciplinary overview of the applications of geophysical methods in selected geoscience disciplines, particularly structural and tectonic geology, natural resources, geomorphology and Quaternary geology, as well as in applied fields such as engineering geology and geotechnics, hydrogeology, water management, environmental geology, mining geophysics, underground construction and archaeology. Attention is also paid to geophysical monitoring, the design and implementation of geophysical surveys, the possibilities and pitfalls of interpreting geophysical survey results, and practical aspects of geophysics in professional practice.
Last update: Tábořík Petr, RNDr., Ph.D. (31.08.2026)
Literature -

Barton N. (2007): Rock Quality, Seismic Velocity, Attenuation and Anisotropy. Taylor & Francis, 756 pp.

Bláha P. (2017): Geofyzika a svahové deformace. Geotest, Brno / Univerzita Komenského v Bratislavě, 338 s.

Bláha P. (2024): Geofyzika pro podzemní stavitelství. GEOtest, Brno.

Everett M. E. (2013): Near-Surface Applied Geophysics. Cambridge University Press, 442 pp

Gruntorád J. a kol. (1985): Principy metod užité geofyziky. SNTL/Alfa, Praha.

Horský O., Bláha P. (2008): Inženýrskogeologický průzkum pro přehrady aneb „co nás také poučilo“. Repronis, Ostrava, 224 s

Karous M. (1989): Geoelektrické metody průzkumu. SNTL, Praha.

Kearey P., Brooks M., Hill I. (2002): An Introduction to Geophysical Exploration. 3rd ed. Blackwell Science, 262 pp.

Kirsch R. et al. (2009): Groundwater Geophysics, A Tool for Hydrogeology, 2nd Ed.Springer - Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany, 548 p.

Loke M. H. (2020): Tutorial: 2-D and 3-D Electrical Imaging Surveys. Geotomo Software.

Mareš S. et al. (1990): Úvod do užité geofyziky. Státní nakladatelství technické literatury, Praha, 677 s.

Mareš S. et al. (1983): Geofyzikální metody v hydrogeologii a inženýrské geologii. SNTL/Alfa, Praha, 198 p.

Mareš S. et al. (1996): Geofyzikální metody v ochraně a tvorbě životního prostředí. MŽP ČR (Phare), 139 p.

Milsom, J., Eriksen, A. (2011): Field Geophysics. 4th ed. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 287 pp

Mussett A. E., Khan A. M. (2000): Looking into the Earth: An Introduction to Geological Geophysics. Cambridge University Press, 492 pp.

Reynolds J. M. (2011): An Introduction to Applied and Environmental Geophysics. 2nd ed. Wiley-Blackwell, 710 pp.

Sharma P.V. (2002): Environmental and engineering geophysics. Cambridge University Press, 2002.

Sheriff R. E., Geldart L. P. (1995): Exploration Seismology. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 592 pp.

Tarantola A. (2005): Inverse Problem Theory. Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Philadelphia.

Telford W. M., Geldart L. P., Sheriff R. E. (1990): Applied Geophysics. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 770 pp.

Vozoff K. (1991): The Magnetotelluric Method. In: Nabighian, M. N. (ed.): Electromagnetic Methods in Applied Geophysics. SEG Publishing, pp. 641–712.

Last update: Tábořík Petr, RNDr., Ph.D. (31.08.2026)
Course assessment methods and requirements for successful completion, grading scheme -
Course credit will be awarded for a minimum attendance of 75% at practical classes, during which practical results related to the individual thematic areas are presented and discussed. Students are expected to participate actively in discussions of both the presented results and the suitability of individual geophysical methods or their combinations for addressing particular problems. In the case of unexcused absence exceeding 25%, course credit may be obtained by submitting a seminar paper prepared by the student on an assigned topic.
Last update: Tábořík Petr, RNDr., Ph.D. (31.08.2026)
Syllabus -

Syllabus

The topics listed below represent the general framework of the course. The actual composition of lectures may vary between academic years depending on current topics and, in particular, on the availability of external experts from both academic and applied practice. A substantial part of the course is delivered through specialist lectures focusing on particular geophysical methods, their fields of application, and examples from real-world survey and research practice. This approach also reflects the established format of the course, which involves experts from academic institutions as well as geophysical and geotechnical companies.

General Thematic Areas:

1. Structural and tectonic geology – applications of geophysical methods to the investigation of faults and fault zones, tectonic structures and their kinematics, studies of active faults and examples ranging from regional-scale surveys to detailed palaeoseismological investigations.

2. Natural resources and mineral exploration – use of geophysical methods for the detection, exploration and characterisation of mineral deposits.

3. Geomorphology and Quaternary geology – use of geophysical methods to investigate landforms and their genesis, Quaternary sediments, sedimentary accumulations, buried surfaces and bedrock topography; geophysical investigation of sedimentary infill and the morphology of the bottoms of water bodies and river channels.

4. Slope deformations and slope stability – geophysical investigation of landslides and other types of slope deformation; delineation of deformation geometry, shear zones, characteristics of the rock and soil environment, and conditions affecting slope stability.

5. Engineering and geotechnical geophysics – investigation of foundation conditions, stability of the ground and slopes, thickness and character of superficial deposits and made ground, weathering and disruption of rock masses; applications in foundation engineering, investigation of structures and linear infrastructure; corrosion surveys.

6. Detection and characterisation of subsurface cavities – geophysical investigation of natural and anthropogenic cavities (caverns), particularly caves, mine workings, old cellars and underground spaces, suffosion cavities, open tesion cracks, zones of disruption, etc.

7. Hydrogeophysics – use of geophysical methods in hydrogeological investigations; detection and characterisation of aquifers and aquitards, water-bearing structures, groundwater levels and preferential flow paths; use of borehole logging methods in hydrogeological investigations and borehole characterisation.

8. Geophysics in water management – geophysical investigation of dams, embankments and other hydraulic structures; characterisation of their construction and foundation conditions, detection of defects and seepage pathways, control surveys and monitoring; investigation of the extent and thickness of sedimentary infill in reservoirs and river channels, including estimation of sediment volumes and assessment of the effects of sedimentation on the capacity of hydraulic structures and watercourses; specific aspects of geophysical surveys on water bodies and rivers.

9. Environmental geophysics – investigation of landfills, legacy environmental burdens and contaminated sites; detection and monitoring of leakage and seepage from embankments, landfills and other anthropogenic structures; environmental geophysical monitoring.

10. Mining geophysics, underground construction and deep subsurface storage structures – geophysical investigations in mines and underground workings, investigation of rock masses, fault and fracture zones and cavities; applications during excavation, operation and monitoring of underground structures; applications in the investigation and monitoring of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste and underground gas storage facilities.

11. Archaeogeophysics and other specialised applications – non-destructive investigation of archaeological sites and anthropogenic structures; examples of geophysical applications in other fields, including agriculture, forestry, agroferestry and forensic investigations.

12. Applications of selected geophysical methods – practical applications of electrical and electromagnetic methods, ground-penetrating radar, seismic methods, gravimetry, magnetometry, radiometry, magnetotellurics and borehole logging in different types of geoscientific and applied problems.

13. Geophysical monitoring – repeated and long-term geophysical measurements, time-lapse geophysics, monitoring of dynamic changes in the subsurface, and examples of electrical resistivity and other types of geophysical monitoring.

14. Design and implementation of geophysical surveys – definition of survey objectives, selection of appropriate methods and their combinations, design of survey methodology and acquisition geometry; integration of geophysical results with geological, engineering-geological, hydrogeological and other data.

15. Pitfalls in the interpretation of geophysical surveys – non-uniqueness of geophysical interpretation, resolution and limitations of individual methods, effects of acquisition methodology and data processing on the resulting model; errors and interpretation artefacts; examples of problematic and erroneous interpretations and their subsequent reinterpretation.

16. Applied geophysics in professional and commercial practice – organisation and implementation of geophysical surveys in practice, technical and economic aspects of geophysical work, commissioning and evaluation of surveys; the legislative framework governing geophysical and geological surveys, professional competence requirements, and responsibility in conducting and interpreting geophysical investigations.

Last update: Tábořík Petr, RNDr., Ph.D. (31.08.2026)
Learning outcomes -

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:

1. Knowledge

  • Explain the possibilities, limitations, and application potential of individual geophysical methods in economic geology, structural geology, geological mapping, hydrogeology, engineering geology, and archaeology.
  • Describe modern geophysical approaches and methodologies used in the exploration and investigation of hydrocarbon, metallic, and non-metallic mineral resources.
  • Characterise the principles of monitoring human activities in the geological environment and methodological approaches to solving specific and non-standard geophysical problems.

2. Skills

  • Design an optimal combination of geophysical methods for a specific practical task in mineral exploration, engineering geology, hydrogeology, or environmental investigations.
  • Perform comprehensive (integrated) interpretation of different types of geophysical data using practical examples and real-world case studies.
  • Apply advanced processing approaches to specific structural-geological and mineral exploration problems.

3. General Competencies

  • Independently develop a geophysical survey strategy for solving complex research and industrial problems.
  • Critically evaluate and synthesise geophysical results within the broader context of geological, engineering, and environmental sciences.
  • Justify proposed methodological approaches and interpretation outcomes in professional and interdisciplinary discussions.
Last update: Tábořík Petr, RNDr., Ph.D. (31.08.2026)
The course does not include work placement
 
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