Geophysicists sample a smorgasbord of experiences while unearthing the physical properties and processes of the Earth. You may find yourself working on vast amounts of data in a sophisticated lab; the next day may find you walking through a desert, Indiana Jones-style, to collect even more data. Yet anot... Continue Reading
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Explore Career Geophysicists sample a smorgasbord of experiences while unearthing the physical properties and processes of the Earth. You may find yourself working on vast amounts of data in a sophisticated lab; the next day may find you walking through a desert, Indiana Jones-style, to collect even more data. Yet another day may find you on the mounts of the Kilimanjaro or the depths of the Pacific.
What are the typical responsibilities of a Geophysicist?
A Geophysicist would typically need to:
Geophysicists usually work as part of a team and split their time between the field, laboratory, and office. Their work may involve considerable travel, often to remote areas. Having outdoor skills, such as camping and hiking skills, may be useful.
Dress code would depend on whether you work on-site or in an office. When working on-site, Geophysicists wear functional and comfortable clothes while work in offices would entail business casual attire.
Geophysicists working in research and analysis jobs in offices and laboratories usually have a 40-hour workweek. As a contractor, you can generally expect six weeks on and six weeks off in an exploration role.
The work schedule of Engineering Geophysicists may involve time abroad or at sea, followed by a similar length of time on leave and the same period in the office. On the front line of civil engineering and land development, Geophysicists work full time and move from one project to another.
Geophysicists can lay claim to transferable skills in data analytics, computer modeling, geodesy and seismology that are widely sought after, across several industries. They work for emergency services in earthquake-prone areas. Part-time work is rare, but if you make the right contacts, you may freelance or work as an independent consultant or with scientific organizations that outsource their skills and knowledge on a contract basis.
Geophysicists are generally employed by:
Seeking membership in a union is a good idea if you want to become a freelancer or set up a consultancy service. Internationally renowned organizations like the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) or the International Union of Geodesy & Geophysics (IUGG) help you network and connect with like-minded professionals worldwide.
Most unions make relevant work experience a mandatory prerequisite to membership, although some allow you to pursue a bachelor’s or a master’s degree.
Practical work experience that gives insight into the field is valuable. Many large multinationals offer promising Geophysicists paid internships and summer placements on projects of operational significance. Employers are interested in candidates with hands-on experience gained through fieldwork or research trips.
Most entry-level positions as Geophysicists typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in geology, geophysics, geoscience, mathematics, physics, mineralogy, petrology, geodesy, paleontology, or geochemistry.
Your job prospects get better with additional courses in mechanical drawing, computer modeling, and computer science. A master’s degree usually paves the way for advancement. A PhD is mandatory to fulfill any aspirations to continue down the path of pure research.
Since Geophysicists spend a lot of time working with teams from various countries, learning a foreign language can be extremely advantageous. Several organizations offer globally recognized language proficiency tests.
Geophysicists offering services to the public might need a license in certain countries. Individual government entities conduct the licensing. It typically requires the passage of an examination in addition to the fulfillment of eligibility requirements, such as a minimum level of education, work experience, training, or the completion of an internship, residency, or apprenticeship.
Career progression is driven by performance, experience, and acquisition of professional qualifications. Depending on your location and your employer, you may progress to the role of Senior Geophysicist, Team Leader, and Senior Manager.
You may be appointed as the Head Researcher or Party Chief. It is also possible to move into a specialist technical role or a generalist role with increased responsibility. The ease of movement between roles depends on the company structure.
Freelance consultancy offers a good route for career development and specializing in a specific area of geophysics.
Global mobility is crucial for dealing with peaks and troughs in different countries at different times. For example, if there is very little work in the UK in mining, you may choose to move to South Africa, where there are likely to be many more mining opportunities.
Acquisition of transferable skills, implicit to the profession, make it possible for Geophysicists to move into seismology, engineering geology, satellite-based Earth observation, natural hazard mitigation, archaeological studies, conservation, climate studies, government policies, or military applications.
Your job prospects are higher if you have a strong computer science background and are willing to relocate geographically.
Due to the highly technical nature of the job, earning a master’s degree or a PhD in geophysics or geosciences may make several higher posts and specialist roles accessible.
Continuing professional development is the holistic commitment of Geophysicists towards enhancing personal skills and proficiency throughout their active careers through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning. There are a whole host of CPD courses, seminars, and workshops to help professionals in the field.
CPD allows individuals to upskill continually, regardless of their age, job, or level of knowledge. It prevents practical and academic qualifications from becoming outdated, enables individuals to identify any knowledge gaps, and allows professionals to progress to a new specialism.
Geophysics is the application of physics to study the Earth, oceans, atmosphere, and near-Earth space. It is a broad subject that encompasses many of the significant sciences – physics, astronomy, planetary science, geology, environmental science, oceanography, and meteorology.
Understanding the Earth
Geophysical observations are fundamental to our understanding of the Earth and how it works for and against us. Geophysicists are active in research, developing innovative methods to explore the Earth and discover how this complex system works. Our planet is an intricate body in which the deep layers, the surface, and the climate and magnetic field interconnect.
Exploding Ideas
Even a small volcanic eruption can have a significant impact, as the 2010 Iceland eruption showed. Geophysical researchers monitor active volcanoes and track plumes of ash, thereby saving lives and supporting businesses worldwide. Geophysicists have found a way to predict an eruption on a timescale that allows those most at risk to take precautions.
From the Depths of the Earth
The deep Earth is utterly inaccessible, yet understanding our core and deep mantle is vital. Our magnetic field comes from the core and protects planet Earth from damaging solar storms. To minimize such effects on our increasingly technological society, we need to understand Earth from its core to the space around us.
Data from spacecraft, such as NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, monitor the Sun’s output in space and provide alerts when high-energy particles and radiation look likely to reach Earth. Such solar storms involve high-energy charged particles that are hazardous to human health and can damage satellites’ software and hardware.
Satellites are also at risk from density changes in the upper atmosphere, which alter their orbits. The electrical fields set up as a result of such magnetic disturbances induce currents in long-distance power lines; these can be enough to burn out transformers, with the risk of power cuts.
It is the terrestrial magnetic field that protects both people and infrastructure; understanding how it responds to the Sun’s activity – called space weather – is a crucial element of understanding the risk.
Plasma Power
The mixture of charged particles in the magnetosphere is in the form of plasma, a rare and difficult matter to study on Earth, that can potentially provide power from nuclear fusion.
Geophysicists study space plasma physics, with researchers providing instruments and leadership as well. Their work may also lead to effective protection for astronauts venturing out of low Earth orbit, which currently would have no protection from solar storms.
Under the Sea
The seas hold the key to understanding the movement of the tectonic plates and the ocean floor structure. If you want to know where to put an oil rig or a wind turbine at sea, you will need a specialist geophysical survey company.
Geophysicists use customized equipment that produces detailed 3D images of the seafloor’s top few meters, picking out bedrock and objects buried in the sediment.
A Shifting Surface
Fieldwork and satellite data combine to show Geophysicists how the Earth’s surface is continually adjusting to the stress of plate movements. The results reveal how the planet works on a human timescale, helping us to understand earthquake risk.
Supporting a Sustainable Society
From keeping train passengers happy to minimizing the impact on the climate of burning fossil fuels, geophysics has tools to help solve many of our environmental problems. Geophysicists can provide technologies that reduce the carbon released to the atmosphere from fossil fuels.
Our Dangerous Planet
Natural hazards may harm those living in the vicinity but can also affect society worldwide. Geophysicists work on the processes that underpin Earth hazards and on the means to monitor and mitigate their effects.
As a Geophysicist, you would join the bold and brilliant brigade of those who endeavor to shed light on intangible facts. You would use the synergy of resources from ordinary physics and extraordinary mathematics to decode messages from the Earth’s interior. The inmost forces of matter and phenomena ranging from the microscopic to the astronomical - atoms, crystals, mountains, planets, stars, nebulae, and universes - would be yours to unearth!
Trust your gut. Study whatever specialty you like, and find a related project to gain experience. If you are interested in the crisis response part, for example, identify useful problems to answer while you are still in school.
When Alfred Wegener first proposed that the continents are slowly drifting around the Earth, his theory was unanimously rejected. It is now one of the essential doctrines in geophysics.
What do Geophysicists do?
A Geophysicist would typically need to:
Accredited
$51,890
