Pursuing A Career As A Geophysicist
When you think of a career in science, you probably think of white labs, and men and women in lab gear, goggles over their eyes, microscopes all around them, and lots and lots of boring reports. It’s a career of isolation, of boredom, and of rigorous repetition.
Thanks to the increasing need for scientific expertise even in ordinary day-to-day life, nothing could be further from the truth. Many careers in science will get you outdoors, traveling, meeting people, and doing new things each day. One of the growing professions that can boast this is that of a geophysicist.
A person who does geophysics NJ is trained in the study of physics related to the Earth, specifically in using electrical, magnetic, and seismic methods (along with gravity) to make important measurements. These measurements could be for water safety, for construction, for environmental protection and much more, and include ground-penetrating radar and other methods.
When in the field of geophysics NJ, it’s likely you will spend a lot of time outdoors studying the Earth and how to measure properties important to your client. Some geophysicists use the methods they learn to find valuable materials such as copper, oil, iron, natural gas, water, and other valuables. Others work closely with environmental groups to find environmental hazards, or with other grounds to determine is an area is suitable for construction, dam building, farming, and so on. Still others help engineers design buildings constructed to withstand earthquakes and other natural disasters.
Some of this work involves deep computer modeling and other methods of that nature, as well as plenty of advanced mathematics. But still more of this work involves actually being outdoors, working with cool equipment and being on-site at cool locations.
The term “geophysics” is a broad term and covers many potential careers. If you work in geophysics NJ you may be a seismologist, an environmental geophysicist, a mining geophysicist, a petroleum geophysicist, or over a dozen other more specific aspects of the field.
Those interested in pursuing a career in geophysics should be sure to load up their high school years with science and math classes, especially AP courses. Computer science classes are important as well. And naturally, any and all Earth science classes should be taken, as they will directly relate to the studies you’ll need to become a geophysicist.
Once in college, those studies will get more advanced. You’ll be taking classes in physics, geology, as well as math and computer science classes. You’ll want to aim for a graduate degree, as the majority of careers as a geophysicist require one.
If you are interested in a career of this sort, also be sure to look for internship opportunities. This kind of first-hand experience is an essential part on your road towards becoming a geophysicist.
Once through your schooling, career opportunities abound. Pay in the field generally tends to be between $50k and $100k, unless you go into management or own your own firm. The biggest benefit is that you can enjoy such a wide range of experience in a wide range of locations. For those interested in science, going into geophysics NJ is a great option.