Geophysics field education: Better learning by doing

Robert R. Stewart, Shuhab Khan, Joe Wong, Stuart Hall, Christopher Liner

A fascination with natural phenomena, a love of the outdoors, and an interest in using advanced technologies draw many to geophysics (Marshall, 2009). In addition, the soul of an exploration geophysicist will likely harbor an energetic curiosity along with the spirit to search for something valuable. Inherent in this quest and the practice of geophysics is a field survey - with its adventure, camaraderie, and measurements. The survey is usually about imaging the subsurface to discover or define something buried. Geophysicists are thus called to make a contribution toward scientific understanding of the earth and, via conscientious resource recovery, an improvement in prosperity. Central to this endeavor is making observations and acquiring data.