Geophysics case study - I will explore techniques used by people (primarily archeologists), to explore the areas of ground prior to archaeological research and excavation occurring

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GEOPHYSICS CASE STUDY

In this Case Study, I will explore techniques used by people (primarily archeologists), to explore the areas of ground prior to archaeological research and excavation occurring; the techniques, subsequently help archaeologists determine if the site is of archaeological value, which would improve our knowledge concerning may aspects of science, including human civilization.

METHODS:

  1. One method that is used to explore the area of ground for archeological research is ground – penetrating radar. This method entails geophysics and uses radar pulses to construct a 3D image of the sub surfaces of the designated archaeological site. The penetrative power of GPR is up to 15m within the ground, ultimately providing archaeologists with a fair understanding of the type of ground that is going to be explored and probably some data of what lies buried in the ground:

The above diagram, displays the GPR’s radargram; the radargram is used to show the pulse reflections of different media. In this case, the radargram has been used on a site in Alabama, USA and the hyperbolic (curve shaped) lines show reflections off media, possibly hinting at a human burial site.

  1. Another method of determining the condition of area for archaeological research is the use of a range of survey methods; different survey methods respond to different physical properties. For instance using magnetic, metal (metal detectors etc) or can allow scientists to infer whether mineral deposits lay within the ground:
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Electrical resistivity is another type of surveying method; this method uses electricity which is surged through electrodes embedded on the ground surface; subsequently information on the depth and density of the ground is collected by twin ‘potential’ probes which evaluate the ease with which electric current flows through the ground (or how strongly the ground opposes the flow of electric current) and this is displayed in voltage measurements. Furthermore electrical resistivity can also give data on the metallic composition of the ground and whether or not the metal conducts electricity.

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