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Deep Electromagnetic Sounding of the Earth and Planetary Interiors
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:07:15
Abstract
The course guides students in learning about phenomenon of the electromagnetic induction in the Earth and other terrestrial planets. The course focuses on studying fundamentals of electromagnetism as well as on analysis and interpretation of long-period time-varying EM fields observed on the ground and in space, which are used to image electrical conductivity in the Earth and planetary interiors.
Objective
The objectives of this course are: (i) Development of the geophysical and mathematical tools needed to understand electromagnetic induction through the analysis of the Maxwell's equations. (ii) Introduction to the physical nature of magnetospheric, ionospheric and ocean induced electromagnetic signals. (iii) Basics of the data interpretation and applications in the fields of deep mantle physics, geothermal exploration and space weather hazards.
Content
Tentative content of the lectures: (i) Introduction to electromagnetic induction: governing equations, summary of the main EM sounding methods (ii) Electrical conductivity of rocks and minerals: conduction mechanisms, anisotropy (iii) Basics of geomagnetic deep sounding (GDS) method: solution of Maxwell’s equations in spherical geometry, GDS transfer functions (iv) Basics of magnetotelluric (MT) method: solution of Maxwell’s equations in Cartesian geometry, MT transfer functions (v) Motional induction: tidal magnetic signals, satellite observations (vi) Data acquisition and processing (vii) Numerical solution of Maxwell's equations in models with 3-D conductivity distribution (viii) Geomagnetic depth sounding of terrestrial planets (ix) Other applications: geothermal exploration, mantle conductivity studies, space weather modeling
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- MSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- end-of-semester examination
- Mode
- oral 30 minutes
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture with exercise | Deep Electromagnetic Sounding of the Earth and Planetary Interiors |
|
2 h weekly |
Offered In
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Electives (Courses can be chosen from the complete offerings of the ETH Zurich and University of Zurich (according to prior agreement with the MSc Committee).)
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