Dictionary:
ge·o·phys·ics (jē'ō-fĭz'ĭks) ![]() |
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| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: geophysics |
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| Sci-Tech Encyclopedia: Geophysics |
Those branches of earth sciences in which the principles and practices of physics are used to study the Earth. Geophysics is considered by some to be a branch of geology, by others to be of equal rank. It is distinguished from the other earth sciences largely by its use of instruments to make direct or indirect measurements of the parts of the Earth being studied, in contrast to the more direct observations which are typical of geology. See also Geology.
Geophysics consists of several principal fields plus parallel and subsidiary divisions. These are commonly considered to include plutology, with geodesy, geothermometry, seismology, and tectonophysics as subdivisions; hydrospheric studies, hydrology (groundwater studies), oceanography, and glaciology; atmospheric studies, meteorology, and aeronomy; and several fields of geophysics which overlap one another, including geomagnetism and geoelectricity, geochronology, geocosmogony, and geophysical exploration and prospecting. Planetary sciences, the study of the planets and satellites aside from the Earth, are usually considered a branch of geophysics because the techniques used have been, until the first landings on each, entirely instrumental rather than directly observational. See also Geochronometry; Geodesy; Geoelectricity; Geomagnetism; Glaciology; Hydrology; Meteorology; Oceanography; Seismology.
| Columbia Encyclopedia: geophysics |
| Science Dictionary: geophysics |
The science devoted to the study of the physical properties and processes of geological phenomena, including fields such as meteorology, oceanography, and seismology.
| Wikipedia: Geophysics |
Geophysics, a major discipline of the Earth sciences and a subdiscipline of physics, is the study of the whole Earth by the quantitative observation of its physical properties. Geophysical data are used in academics to observe tectonic plate motions, study the internal structure of the Earth, supplement data provided by geologic maps, and to nondestructively observe shallow deposits. Geophysical survey data are used to analyze potential petroleum reservoirs and mineral deposits, to locate groundwater, to locate archaeological finds, to find the thicknesses of glaciers and soils, and for environmental remediation. The theories and techniques of geophysics are employed extensively in the planetary sciences in general.
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The development of geophysics has been motivated by many theoretical and practical issues.
The term of geophysics was probably first used in Germany, where it appeared in scientific writings of the mid-19th century. The word geophysics was first used by Fröbel[4][5] as "geophysik" in 1834.
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
| Translations: Geophysics |
Français (French)
n. - géophysique
Deutsch (German)
n. - Geophysik, %
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - γεωφυσική
Português (Portuguese)
n. - geofísica (f)
Español (Spanish)
n. - geofísica
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - geofysik
中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
地球物理学
中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. pl. - 地球物理學
n. - 地球物理學
한국어 (Korean)
n. pl. - 지구 물리학
n. - 지구 물리
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) علم الفيزياء الأرضيه
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - הפיסיקה של כדור-הארץ, גיאופיסיקה
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Copyrights:
![]() | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Sci-Tech Encyclopedia. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more | |
![]() | Science Dictionary. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Geophysics". Read more | |
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