HOMEWORK HINTS: HOW TO SOLVE GEOPHYSICAL PROBLEMS

Homework usually involves calculating the geophysical signature associated with a geological question.

• Sketch a diagram showing the general geometry of the problem. Include in this diagram any variables (distance, depth, angles, etc.) that appear in the equations you will be using.
• Rationalize units, show your logic but not necessarily all of the arithmetic.
• THINK! Does the answer make sense? With the help of computers, geophysicists can now make thousands of mistakes per hour. Experienced geophysicists can make thousands of mistakes per minute. A bit of reflection on your results might help you avoid publishing your errors. Everyone makes mistakes but the wise person discovers his or her own errors and corrects them before they can lead others astray.

When the instructions ask you to "sketch", this means draw a cartoon that represents the relative locations of various elements of the problem. When the instructions ask you to "construct", get out the ruler and protractor - all lengths and/or angles should be drawn to specifications.

Test questions often resemble homework problems or calculations required for laboratory reports. Other questions ask "why" or "how". You should not fear either the midterm or the final if you consistently do the homework, pay close attention to lectures, read from the text and occasionally from supplemental sources, and think while writing your lab reports. I may prepare a final exam to be taken on computers in Room 3051.

I have been known to cancel final exams in classes where all students have consistently demonstrated high achievement.

Some additional words of advice: save your work in the original software (Excel, Surfer, FreeHand) even after converting a graph or map to an image for a report. If it is necessary to revise that image or map, not having it available in the original format makes editing most difficult.

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