Gregorio Adri Prawira - 3715100020

WAVES
General View
In general, wave can be described as oscillation that can move through a
medium or none at all. Wave transfer energy from one point to another point.
Wave motion moves particles of the transmission medium, but not move or
transfer mass. In other words, wave only transfer energy, not matter. There are two
main types of waves, which is mechanical wave and electromagnetic wave.
Mechanical wave is a type of wave that move through a medium. Because
of it, this type of wave deformed the substance of the medium that it passed like
water ripple, where the surface of the water’s shape is changed. But the
deformation doesn’t last forever, as there is a restoring force that reverse the
deformation back to the initial condition. Example of a mechanical wave are
sound (acoustic), waves in water or fluids, seismic (through solid matter), et
cetera.
Electromagnetic wave is type of wave that can move without any medium.
Electromagnetic wave use oscillation of the electrical and magnetic field from
charged particles so it can travel in vacuum environments. Example of
electromagnetic wave are microwave, infra-red wave, radio wave, light, x-ray
wave, gamma ray wave, et cetera.
In everyday phenomenon, there many examples of waves. For example,
when lightning strikes, the electrons vibrate and caused a friction which transfer
energy to the ground (electric wave). Not only electric wave, light wave and
sound wave also occurs but light wave propagates faster than sound wave. That
why when we see a lightning, it always come with a flash of light first, then it’s
thunderous sound.

Geophysical view
In geophysical view, waves can be used as a way to understand the inner
earth. Geophysicists use both type of waves to understand the interior of earth,
which is mechanical and electromagnetic waves. The type of mechanical waves
that used is called seismic waves. Seismic waves are the waves that travels
through the earth because of movement or sudden breaking of rocks within the
earth or because of explosion.
There are two main type of seismic waves, which is body waves and
surface waves. The body wave can propagate through inner layer of earth. This
wave arrives before the surface wave. This waves have higher frequency than
surface wave. To explore the subsurface area using seismic method, geophysicists
have to understand the principle of seismic reflection and seismic refraction.
Seismic method can use natural seismic wave from the earth, such as vibration
from earthquake or use a controlled seismic waves by using explosion,
sledgehammer and a striker plate, specialized air gun or seismic vibrator.
An earthquake is caused by a seismic event inside of earth. When two
plate tectonics collided, it generates wave that propagates through layers of earth
and then caused a shaking in the surface. Tsunami can be caused by that
phenomena, but the difference is it happens in the ocean. When a wave is
generated beneath the sea, it transfer energy from inner earth to the surface by
different medium, which is ground/solid to water/fluid.
Electromagnetic wave can be used by geophysicist to explore the
subsurface of earth by doing the following methods : magnetotellurics (calculating
geoelectric and geomagnetic characteristics of subsurface layer of earth), and
Ground Penetrating Radar (releasing radio waves into earth and receiving it then
calculate it).
The geophysicists use the waves to calculate the velocity of the waves that
propagates through the earth. Each waves can arrive at different time at certain
layer of earth because of the layer’s density and thickness. Each layer has its own
density and characteristics so each waves propagates at different speed then
reflected and refracted. That phenomena are used by geophysicist to determine
what kind of layer inside of earth.
But not all of the method can be used in every situation. For example,
certain seismic method is very sensitive to outer vibration (from people, vehicles
and many other things) so to get ideal data, the area must be cleared.
Electromagnetic wave method can be used to explore deeper part of earth.
Because of that, a geophysicist must understand how wave and its propagation to
use the geophysical exploring methods.
Bibliography
Kearey, Phillip, Michael Brooks, Ian Hill. 2013. An Introduction to Geophysical
Exploration. New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons.
NCS Pearson. 2016. Electromagnetic Waves. TutorVista.com. 2016.
http://physics.tutorvista.com/waves/electromagnetic-waves.html. (Accessed 13-
09-2016)
Ostrovsky, Lev A., Alexander I. Potapov. 1999. Modulated Waves: Theory and
Applications. Baltimore : John Hopkins University Press.