An introduction to geophysical exploration / Введение в геофизические методы исследования

This book provides a general introduction to the most important methods of geophysical exploration. These methods represent a primary tool for investigation of the subsurface and are applicable to a very wide range of problems. Although their main application is in prospecting for natural resources the methods are also used, for example, as an aid to geological surveying, as a means of deriving information on the Earth’s internal physical properties, and in engineering or archaeological site investigations. Consequently, geophysical exploration is of importance not only to geophysicists but also to geologists, physicists, engineers and archaeologists. The book covers the physical principles, methodology, interpretational procedures and fields of application of the various survey methods. The main emphasis has been placed on seismic methods because these represent the most extensively used techniques, being routinely and widely employed by the oil industry in prospecting for hydrocarbons. 
Since this is an introductory text we have not attempted to be completely comprehensive in our coverage of the subject. Readers seeking further information on any of the survey methods described should refer to the more advanced texts listed at the end of each chapter. 
We hope that the book will serve as an introductory course text for students in the abovementioned disciplines and also as a useful guide for specialists who wish to be aware of the value of geophysical surveying to their own disciplines. In preparing a book for such a wide possible readership it is inevitable that problems arise concerning the level of mathematical treatment to be adopted. Geophysics is a highly mathematical subject and although we have attempted to show that no great mathematical expertise is necessary for a broad understanding of geophysical surveying, a full appreciation of the more advanced data processing and interpretational techniques does require a reasonable mathematical ability. Our approach to this problem has been to keep the mathematics as simple as possible and to restrict full mathematical analysis to relatively simple cases. We consider it important, however, that any user of geophysical surveying should be aware of the more advanced techniques of analysing and interpreting geophysical data since these can greatly increase the amount of useful information obtained from the data. In discussing such techniques we have adopted a semiquantitative or qualitative approach which allows the reader to assess their scope and importance, without going into the details of their implementation. 
In the second edition of this book we have attempted to incorporate suggestions from readers of the first edition, and recent developments in exploration techniques. There are new chapters on Radiometric Surveying and Geophysical Borehole Logging, and new sections on vertical seismic profiling, marine gravimeters, time—domain electromagnetic methods, non-contacting resistivity measurements and ground-penetrating radar. The treatment of three-dimensional seismic surveying and seismic stratigraphy has been expanded. We have incorporated the application of the surveying methods into the relevant chapters on techniques rather than dealing with applications in a separate chapter. We have also provided a set of problems at the end of each main chapter. Since, however, much geophysical interpretation involves an integration of data, several of the problems make reference to more than one exploration method.  <...>