If we try to find the composition of minerals and rocks inside moon and mars based on geophysical data, then please assume we have installed Geophysical instruments on the surface of the moon and mars (e.g. seismic array and/or gravity-meter, magnetometers and so on), can we use the physics and geophysics rules that we apply in earth?
Dear Dr. Hamedpour,
The benefit of doing applied geophysics in Moon, Mars are the same for Earth.
You may have another question for earth as well.
Regards
Your question is very interesting.
Remember that the Apollo missions included several active seismic experiments conducted on the surface of the Moon. This experiments used geophones on Apollo 14, 16 and 17. Therefore, the experiments have already begun decades ago. Maybe the next step will be the use of GPR, ASA, EM, micrograv, etc.
As you know dear Javan, geophysical methods, measure subsurface attributes or relative physical-contrast properties, such as density, magnetic susceptibility, acoustic impedances…
But, geophysical prospecting provides generalized and non-unique solutions to questions concerning the geometry of subsurface geologic relations (evidence of faulting, fault dip, time structure vs. depth structure, channels and stratigraphy, seismic sequence stratigraphy...) Even more, the subsurface imaging with the most precise technique (3-D seismology) give us non-uniqueness solutions - both a mathematical problem and one related to the multiplicity of sources that can cause geophysical anomalies. Beyond determining simple reservoir limits, the detailed characteristic of the reservoir and its seismic expression are often hide.
Therefore, my short answer is that:
1- Under good conditions: Yes, it is possible to apply geophysical methods to investigate the structure.
2- No, it is not possible to apply geophysical methods to investigate composition of minerals and rocks with the present-day state-of-art e.g., vertical and lateral resolution, SNR, fold, spatial aliasing …
Cheers, Mario E. Sigismondi
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Chemistry