Geophysics
Geophysical research involves the application of the laws and principals of physics to further our understanding of the Earth and its inner workings. Geophysics research at Boston University encompasses a broad range of topics and methods, including seismology (regional and global velocity and attenuation tomography, earthquake source seismology), high pressure experimental rock deformation, computational fluid dynamics and analog geodynamic modeling of mantle convection.
Our department offers both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at the graduate level, as well as a B.A. in Geophysics and Planetary Science at the undergraduate level. Several of our faculty members currently have opportunities for prospective graduate students.
Examples of Ongoing Research Projects
- Earthquake source processes in diverse tectonic environments (Abercrombie)
- Imaging seismic velocity and attenuation in the mantle beneath the Atlantic basin (Dalton)
- Mapping 3-D variations in mantle temperature beneath mid-ocean ridges using seismological and petrological observations (Dalton)
- High pressure, high temperature deformation of upper mantle rocks (in collaboration with the Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University) (Faul)
- Geodynamic constraints on the nature of the asthenosphere (Hall, Faul)
- Geodynamic and geochemical modeling of plume-ridge interaction at the Easter Island hotspot (Hall)
Faculty
- Rachel Abercrombie seismology
- Colleen Dalton seismology
- Ulrich Faul rock physics
- Paul Hall geodynamics
Geophysical Research Facilities
A Selection of Relevant Graduate-level Courses
ES505 Plate Tectonics and Kinematics
ES581 Solid Earth Geophysics
ES660 Geodynamics I
ES681 Geodynamics II: Fluids and Fluid Transport
ES701 Quantitative Methods I: Mechanics of Earth Materials
ES702 Quantitative Methods II: Analysis and Modeling of Geologic Processes
ES781 Methods of Seismology
ES831 Physics of Earth Materials
Note: A complete list of our departmental course offerings is available here.
