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18-Geol-A7 Applied Geophysics: December 2018

Nivaar worked solution (AI-drafted; not reviewed by a licensed engineer)

  1. Question 1 Electrical Conductivity — Definition, Typical Values, and Relation to Resistivity and Conductance
  2. Question 2 Seismic Refraction Over a Low-Velocity Layer — Ray Paths, Snell's Law and Interpretation
  3. Question 3 Gamma-Ray Spectrometry — Radiation Types, the U-238 Decay Chain, and a Disequilibrium Discrepancy
  4. Question 4 Resistivity Array Configuration — Geometry, Apparent Resistivity, and Survey Processing
  5. Question 5 Ferromagnetism, Antiferromagnetism and Ferrimagnetism; Induced vs. Remanent Magnetization
  6. Question 6 The Electromagnetic Method — Governing Physics, Transmitter/Receiver Operation and a Case History
  7. Question 7 Gravity Surveying — Instrumentation, Data Reduction, and a Case History
  8. Question 8 Three Geophysical Well-Logging Tools
  9. Question 9 The Magnetotelluric Method — Data Collection, Processing and a Case History
  10. Question 10 Seismic Reflection — Source Gather Geometry, Multi-Layer Arrivals and Multiple Suppression

Start with Question 1 →

National Exams — December 2018 — 18-Geol-A7 Applied Geophysics. Three-hour, closed-book exam; approved Casio or Sharp calculator permitted. The paper offers a choice of six of the following ten questions, each worth 16.66% of the total mark, and every question requires an essay-format answer — this is a genuinely all-essay sitting with no numeric data, formula sheet, or figure supplied in the source. All ten questions are answered below so the set stands as a complete study resource for choose-N-of-M exams.

Reference texts: Telford, Geldart & Sheriff, Applied Geophysics (2nd ed.) — the primary reference for every method touched in this paper (electrical/EM methods, seismic refraction/reflection, radiometrics, magnetics, gravity, well logging); Kearey, Brooks & Hill, An Introduction to Geophysical Exploration (3rd ed.) — survey design, array geometry, data acquisition and processing; Blakely, Potential Theory in Gravity and Magnetic Applications — magnetic-mineral behaviour and gravity reduction (Q5, Q7); Selley & Sonnenberg, Elements of Petroleum Geology — well-logging tool context (Q8).

Check: page 1's NOTES list is numbered 1–5 with a genuine duplicate — two distinct instructions are both numbered "5." (5. Each question should take about half an hour. / 5. All questions require an answer in essay format…).