Determination of geophysical properties of till based on integrated geophysics

The project is associated with a larger project, financed by Formas. The aim is to study the physical composition of the till and see if and how there is a couple to bedrock properties. The project studies till from all different aspects. Two test areas associated with rock quarries have been studied in detail, one at Olunda near Uppsala, and one at Bäckseda near Vetlanda. Several geophysical tests have been made over a test area of till at each site. This includes georadar, resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, VLF and seismic. The size distribution and lithological composition of the clasts >2cm has been studied at each site.
The aim of this x-job is to determine how geophysical properties of till can be coupled to the results of different geophysical measuring methods.
In the project described above the till has been studied in detail at two sites. This coming field season we plan to continue the study of till at several sites where both the till boulder content varies and the bedrock composition is distinct but different. This will produce an enormous amount of data, both geophysical data from the different methods used, and detailed analysis of the till, the lithology of the particles in the till and the mineralogy of the fines. Several other students use this data for their master’s and doctorate theses.
This project will evaluate the data and try to link physical properties to the geophysical results. For example: can the grain-size distribution of the till be estimated by geophysics; can the density be determined; can the boulder content be determined; is there any preferred orientation of the clasts; can the weathered state be determined etc.

The project is suitable for a geology student who is capable of handling and evaluating large amount of geophysical data.
The advisor of the project is Docent Joanne Fernlund. You will also work in close cooperation with other master students working on associated projects and well as doctorate student Mimmi Arvidsson.