Gravity isn’t the same everywhere. In fact, it varies across globe due to both geologic features below the surface, and elevation.
Newton’s law says there is a gravitational attraction between any objects that have mass. So, to locate subsurface features or objects, we need to measure the gravitational attraction that the earth exerts at locations near buried features.

In this module students learn to conduct terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) and/or Structure from Motion (SfM) surveys to address real field research questions of importance to society. Both geodetic methods generate high resolution topographic data and have widespread research applications in geodesy, geomorphology, structural geology, and more.

This module emphasizes how electrical resistivity is used as a proxy for measuring salinity in a wetland just outside of New York City, and how the presence of an indicator species is used as a proxy for ecosystem health. Comparing these data illustrates how cities impact the environments around them.

This module introduces students to global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, a more universal term than GPS). It focuses on static and kinematic methods, and shows examples for use in measuring topography and change detection.

This module emphasizes how seismic methods are used to address problems or answer questions that apply to our everyday lives. Authentic datasets are used throughout the module, even for the simplest exercises. This allows students to grapple with the challenges of real data sets, where there is an element of interpretation in choosing where and how to measure variables.

This module considers the capabilities and limitations of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) in urban/highly developed settings and for forensic applications. Students are asked to draw on their current understanding of common medical imaging methods and draw comparisons to GPR.