Introduction to Applied Geophysics
Introduction to Applied Geophysics surveys seismic, electrical, gravity, and magnetic methods, covering basic physics, modeling, and field procedures.
Summary
Past student reviews · Dante Fratta
The course was described as difficult, though students reported that they learned a significant amount from the demanding material.
What you’ll be able to do
Describe the fundamental physics underlying applied geophysical methods and how these measurements and techniques are used to explore and characterize the near surface.
Describe the limitations of geophysical techniques and tools.
Describe the field procedures employed to collect geophysical data.
Use geophysical techniques to interpret and analyze geophysical data collected for applied and engineering purposes.
Evaluate the application of geophysical technique through critical analysis of published literature.
Source: UW Guide 1· UW Guide 2
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course mapMATH 222 and (PHYSICS 202, 208, 248, orE M A 202), graduate/professional standing, or member of Engineering Guest Students
- take all
- graduate/professional standing
- member of Engineering Guest Students
“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
- All of
- All of
- Any of
- graduate/professional standing
- member of Engineering Guest Students
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
DANTE FRATTA is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2024, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections.
Meeting source records
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · Dante Fratta
Students found the course interesting and well-designed with a step-by-step structure, noting that the instructor made the material attractive and engaging.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2023: 3.38 GPA, 75.0% A/AB (n=8 letter grades); Fall 2024: 3.71 GPA, 85.7% A/AB (n=7 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.44 GPA, 50.0% A/AB (n=8 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Dante Fratta
The course was described as difficult, though students reported that they learned a significant amount from the demanding material.
Past student reviews · Dante Fratta
Exams were administered flexibly with reasonable scoring, and while the instructor had a slight accent, it did not significantly hinder communication.
Topics
- Seismic refraction and reflection
- Electrical resistivity
- Gravity and magnetics methods
- Basic physics, modeling techniques, and field procedures
Skills
- Describing fundamental physics of applied geophysical methods for near-surface characterization
- Describing limitations of geophysical techniques and tools
- Describing field procedures for collecting geophysical data
- Interpreting and analyzing geophysical data for applied and engineering purposes
- Evaluating geophysical applications through critical analysis of published literature
Grades
Latest available · Fall 2025— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Fall 2025
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
Selected offering source records
No offering records for the selected term.
Raw records
[]
Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
{
"model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
"model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
"task_version": "17",
"output_id": "04ae0113d89f8b2e9560b91371d0f44c22d2ccce432d02da366a71c7381494e5",
"requirements_status": "needs_review",
"dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
"observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}