About Us
Near surface geophysics is the use of geophysical methods to understand the phenomenon in the shallow subsurface of the Earth. The various methods include gravity, magnetic, electric, electromagnetic, and seismic refraction and reflection. These methods can be applied to multiple areas such as environmental contamination problems, groundwater resources, archaeological research and mapping glacial drift thickness.
Our work involves theoretical modeling and field work utilizing various state-of-the-art instruments to address complex challenges through innovative methods. Advancements in technology has opened the possibility for the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) in changing the operating environment for the instruments. Our laboratory is developing methods for magnetic and VLF systems in conjunction with UAVs to increase field work efficiency.
We are located in Rood Hall, home of the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at Western Michigan University. A field geophysical test site is located on WMU Asylum Lake property and has been extensively used since installations began in 1995.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Environmental Geophysics
- Hydrogeophysics
- Archaeogeophysics
- Contaminant mapping
- Groundwater modeling
- Geophysical Inversion
- Advanced geophysical data processing methods
People
| Assistant Professor Dr. Mine Dogan is an assistant professor in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at Western Michigan University. Dogan is an experienced geophysicist with a strong background in engineering, geostatistics, groundwater modelling and stochastic hydrology. She received her Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 2013, and comes to us from the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at Clemson University where she held positions of a postdoctoral research scientist and a research assistant professor. Office: (269) 387-5337 Fax: (269) 387-5513 Email |
| Chanho Park Ph.D. Student in Geophysics Chanho joins after graduating with a BSc. in Geology from Calvin College. His first project involved cemetery lot assessment for a local township in Jackson, MI using GPR. As a Ph.D. student, his interests are in aerial application of geophysical methods using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Currently, he is developing methods for airborne VLF system with applications to landfill leachate monitoring. |
| Aylin Yildirim Ph.D. Student in Geophysics Aylin is a Ph.D. student in the Geosciences department. She graduated from Istanbul Technical University (ITU) in Turkey with a BSc. in Geophysical Engineering and a MSc. degree in Geographical Information Technologies. She worked as a Research Engineer at ITU CSCRS (Center for Satellite Communications and Remote Sensing) and completed her master's thesis in "Soil Salinity Monitoring vis Remotely Sensed Data" project. Her interests are in remote sensing and geophysical application on the near-earth surface. In her free time, Aylin loves to travel and find out more about different cultures. She also loves to hike and explore the nature. |
| Nazife Onaral M.S. Student in Geophysics Naz is a graduate student in geophysics pursuing a master’s degree. She graduated from Istanbul Technical University (ITU) in Turkey with a B.S. in Geological Engineering. Currently, her research is focused on exploring plant-root-soil interaction using GPR and Electrical Resistivity Tomography. She is proficient in Matlab, AutoCAD, Surfer and COMSOL. |
Research
Nazife Onaral (MS) Thesis: "Exploring the effects of tree roots on the infiltration process"
Instrument Repository
Click above to see the various conventional and airborne instruments utilized in our lab!
We offer various geophysical services utilizing our instruments.
For more information email us!
Recent Events
Airborne VLF-EM Research
2022 AGU Presentation
2021 AGU Presentation
Electrical Resistivity Field Work
