The material in this volume provides the basic theory necessary to understand the principles behind imaging the subsurface of the Earth using reflection and refraction seismology. The end products are a "record section" such as that shown in Figure 1.1 and, from a collection of "wiggly traces" that are recorded in the field (see Figure 3.1 on page 40 for an example of a wiggly 42-trace seismogram), derived information about subsurface structure and rock properties.

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.

The lithosphere is the outer solid part of the earth, including the crust and uppermost mantle. The lithosphere is about 100 km thick, although its thickness is age dependent (older lithosphere is thicker). The lithosphere below the crust is brittle enough at some locations to produce earthquakes by faulting, such as within a subducted oceanic plate. This new book presents leading research in the field from around the globe. Some physical problems related to modeling the conditions of the formation and evolution of the lithosphere are discussed. It is shown that if we take into account both the effects of thermal expansion and compressibility we could receive results with no change or even an increase of density under the P-T conditions within the lithosphere.

This book is intended as a comprehensive survey of the entire field of geophysical exploration. The author has endeavored to present the subject in broad perspective, emphasizing the relations, differences, common features, and, above all, the fundamentals of geophysical methods. The material is divided into two parts of six chapters each. The first part, written in elementary language, addresses those desiring an insight into the working principles and geological applications of geophysical methods. It is intended for individuals in executive and geologic advisory capacity and for persons not directly concerned with field or laboratory operations.

Unprecedented advances in geophysics during the 1970s and 1980s have revolutionized our concepts about the Earth. This scientific revolution is largely a consequence of the discovery of seafloor spreading and the subsequent formulation of the theory of plate tectonics. In addition, however, the exploration of the Moon and planets has had a profound impact upon geophysics, as has the development of innovative space technologies, where orbiting satellites have yielded a wealth of new and truly global geophysical data. A vital catalyst for these great advancements in knowledge has been the astonishing growth of computer technology, with the attendant development of powerful new digital techniques for collecting, processing, and analyzing massive quantities of digital data. The overall effect has been to alter foreover not only our understanding of the Earth but also the fundamental way in which we do geophysical research.

Geophysics, as its name indicates, has to do with the physics of the earth and its surrounding atmosphere. Gilbert’s discovery that the earth behaves as a great and rather irregular magnet and Newton’s theory of gravitation may be said to constitute the beginning of geophysics. Mining and the search for metals date from the earliest times, but the scientific record began with the publication in 1556 of the famous treatise De re metallica by Georgius Agricola, which for many years was the authoritative work on mining.

This book is intended as a comprehensive survey of the entire field of geophysical exploration. The author has endeavored to present the subject in broad perspective, emphasizing the relations, differences, common features, and, above all, the fundamentals of geophysical methods. The material is divided into two parts of six chapters each. The first part, written in elementary language, addresses those desiring an insight into the working principles and geological applications of geophysical methods. It is intended for individuals in executive and geologic advisory capacity and for persons not directly concerned with field or laboratory operations. 

It is now 10 years since the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Exploration Geophysics was published. In this edition new terms have been added and definitions revised in order to keep up with the technological advances of this decade. 
The first edition appeared when exploration geophysicists were starting to cope with data processing and help was needed with the processing vocabulary.

All information about the Earth’s interior comes from field observations and measurements made within the top few kilometers of the surface, from laboratory experiments and from the powers of human deduction, relying on complex numerical modeling. Solid Earth Geophysics encompasses all these endeavors and aspires to define and quantify the internal structure and processes of the Earth in terms of the principles of physics, corresponding mathematical formulations and computational procedures.