WHAT IS GEOPHYSICS

Geophysics is the science that studies the Earth from the point of view of physics. Its object of
study covers all the phenomena related to the structure, physical conditions and evolutionary
history of the Earth. Being a mainly experimental discipline, it uses for its study quantitative
physical methods such as the physics of reflection and refraction of mechanical waves, and a series
of methods based on the measurement of gravity, electromagnetic, magnetic or electric fields and
radioactive phenomena. In some cases these methods take advantage of natural fields or
phenomena (gravity, terrestrial magnetism, tides, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc.) and in others they
are induced by man (electric fields and seismic phenomena).