b'Environmental geophysics Environmental geophysicsprovide useful information at so manychanges are not just minor instrument depth scales (with some differences indrift over time.instrumentation of course), relatively quickly and without a source is going toThere are a few other talks that I think continue to be a story. will be interesting. Fiandaca and Viezzoli are giving presentations on the inversion Still in data acquisition, I was very happyof IP effects in airborne EM (AEM) data. to see that one of my favourites over theWhilst I think that it is important that last year or two, the Loupe EM system,we get better at recognising induced is getting attention at the conferencepolarisation (IP) effects in AEM, and am (including a poster from yours truly). Inpleased to see inversion for the source of one of the presentations (Van Dam etal.)IP in the data, what really got me going Loupe data are collected along withwas that Fiandaca and Viezzoli think Mike Hatchother geophysical data (including passivethat their approach has the potential to Associate Editor for seismic) to characterise environmentalimprove our ability to incorporate any Environmental geophysicsproblems in a near-mine setting. Itprior data (even though it may be sparse) michael.hatch@adelaide.edu.au seems that all of the data sets wereinto the much less sparse AEM inversion complementary, and that likely flowproblem. Ive never been quite happy paths from an environmental pondwith how borehole and other data are A golden age of environmentalcould be identified. incorporated into AEM inversions, and geophysics It is also good to see techniques likeam hoping to see a better approach evolve.Welcome readers to this issuesMulti-channel Analysis of Surface Wave column on geophysics applied to the(MASW) getting increased attention.Having worked in Laos a few times over environment. In this column I reviewThere are two presentations highlightingthe years, I was both personally and the presentations on offer at AEGCMASW data sets being acquired forprofessionally interested in Speer etal.s 2021 (now digital), and am inspired toengineering projects that I think arework on the Plain of Jars Archaeological suggest that environmental geophysics isdefinitely worth a look. Sometimes itResearch Project. It seems that they used entering a golden age. seems electrical techniques just dontground penetrating radar to successfully get you the info that you need (whoidentify at least one ancient burial site So, whats hot in the environmental/ would have thought) and when thatwith two partial skeletons.archaeological/engineering/near surfacehappens it may just be time to turnTaylor etal. from the CSIRO present part of geophysics, and how does thisto MASW and passive seismic (amongthe results of combined AEM and add up to a golden age? I think that weother possibilities). I cant wait to seehydrological studies at Goulburn Island are witnessing significant progress inwidespread joint inversion of electricalin the Gulf of Carpentaria, NT. The local both the development and the evolutiondata with shallow seismic data; it seemsindigenous population is completely of new techniques. On top of that we areso obvious that the various (different)dependent on local groundwater witnessing significant improvements inambiguities in all of these data setssupplies, which runs low in dry years. This our ability to invert and image large datacould be minimised by looking at themstudy determined that there is likely to sets. Improvements that have come withtogether. be enough water in the system (and that improved computer processing. In the interest of making these shallowrecharge is sufficient) and that what is One of the most widely-discusseddata sets more useful, both in a spatialneeded is infrastructure improvement, as techniques at the upcoming AEGC willsense (i.e. are features in the correctwell as improved management.be Passive Seismic (PS). As most of uslocation, and are conductivities right,Finally, Anton Kepic will present a talk know, the PS technique is not used justetc.?) as well as in the temporal sensetitled The Do-It-Yourself-geophysicist. to collect the shallow data sets that Im(i.e. can we compare data sets collectedTo me this talk looks interesting at a mostly interested in (at least so far asat different times over the same area tonumber of levels. Firstly it discusses how this column is concerned). That fact isbe able to interpret how the underlyingthe evolution of UAVs will be important rather obvious if you look through theground conditions have changed?) Ito our science (I suspect that most of us titles and abstracts in the programmethink that calibration of equipment willare already convinced of this). Secondly for the presentations that involve PS. Ofbecome more and more important.it describes some of the new tools the eleven presentations that use PS,There is one presentation by Brodieout there (that are mostly free) that only one is strictly an environmentaletal. (Geoscience Australia) on thewill allow the more mechanically and story; the rest are split between oil andMenindee AEM calibration range. Whilstelectronically apt among us to actually mineral exploration and deep crustalthere is only one presentation on thismake our own instruments in close to studies. Nevertheless, based on thetopic, I think that the subject is under- real/useable time. While I may not be range of subjects (and the range ofrepresented in our work and research.appropriately apt at the moment, Im depths), Im pretty sure that PS is goingPersonally, I am trying to figure out howdefinitely interested.to be used more and more at all ofto locally calibrate ground data so these scales. Any technique that canthat I can be confident that observedRoll on the golden age!AUGUST 2021 PREVIEW 36'