IASBS Geophysics
Overview
The geophysics group is part of the Physics
Department, dedicated to research and graduate education in the fields of solid
earth geophysics. We offer an M.Sc. program in
geophysics that is both course- and research-oriented. Current fields of
interest are the study of crustal structure of Iran with seismological methods,
and deformation processes in the lithosphere with an emphasis on numerical
modeling. Students take several courses covering all major branches of
geophysics and are expected to undertake a research project that has to be
defended at the end of their program. Individuals with a Bachelor’s degree in
Physics, Geology, Mathematics, and Engineering are eligible to apply.
Research
Geophysical research at IASBS is mainly focused
on crustal seismology and geodynamics.
A major field of research in our department is
the study of the crustal and upper mantle structure of Iran. Currently, we are
involved in the following projects:
The second field of research focuses on
understanding the dynamic processes that shape the structure and deformation of
planetary lithosphere, and its interaction with the mantle. In particular, we
use numerical modeling to investigate the following problems:
In addition to the above fields, the members of
the department have undertaken the task of re-processing the aeromagnetic data
of Iran.
Curriculum
The geophysics curriculum is designed so as to
give students at M.Sc level a broad knowledge of the
major branches of the science. Students from a geology background are asked to
take a course or two in math and physics to improve their base. Likewise,
students from non-geology backgrounds are required to take an introductory level
geology course. Because computational skills are an essential part of a
geophysicist’s work, all students must have a sufficient knowledge base in
computational and numerical techniques and must be fluent in at least one
programming language. A list of the core courses of the M.Sc. program and a
summary of the course contents are given below:
Computational and instrumental facilities
A number of hardware and software facilities are
at the service of educational and research activities of the department.
The geophysics group has a dedicated
computational lab for geophysical data processing. The lab is used for
educational and research purposes. It is equipped with Linux machines and a
pool of geophysical software, such as the seismic data processing packages of
SEISAN, Seismic Handler, Giant, PITSA, GIS databases and data processors, the
potential fields data processing package Geosoft, and
various Fortran codes for simulation of fluid dynamical problems.
In addition, the geophysics group has full
access to the main computer network of IASBS, which serves over 300 Linux and
Window clients through an integrated LAN. Furthermore, two clusters of serial
and parallel machines (with 16 and 32 nodes, respectively) serve the computational
needs of the faculty and students of IASBS.
The department is equipped with the following
geophysical instruments:
In the very near future, 2 more seismometers
will arrive, which will expand the scope of seismological research in the
department.
Useful links:
Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran
International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake
Engineering, Tehran