“Empowering Geophysics Education towards Global Changes Era” Some points by Manfred.P. Hochstein (FRSNZ), Univ. of Auckland, New Zealand Presented for Panel Discussion at The 34 th HAGI Annual Meeting Yogyakarta 2009

Where did our Geophysics education come from? Where does it stand now? Where will it go? The theme could be introduced by asking the questions: The 34 th HAGI Annual Meeting Yogyakarta, November 9 th – 12 th 2009

Each of us within the sub-theme of Geophysics Education can answer the first two. Answers to the third one will be divergent. The 34 th HAGI Annual Meeting Yogyakarta, November 9 th – 12 th 2009

i) Where did my Geophysics Education come from? * (my experience): lectures were mixture of classical observatory science, rather boring potential theory, derivation of standard interpretation theories, minor lab. sessions, no field studies; The 34 th HAGI Annual Meeting Yogyakarta, November 9 th – 12 th 2009 Here are my answers:

The important training as a student came from: “ my own field work during holidays involving commercial seismic reflexion surveys (Germany), mineral exploration field work (Finland), under-ground logging (thesis)”. The 34 th HAGI Annual Meeting Yogyakarta, November 9 th – 12 th 2009

* After postgraduate studies, then postdoctoral studies, I was finally a certified geophysicist, found a job with the NZ DSIR - but how incomplete was my Geophysics Education! The 34 th HAGI Annual Meeting Yogyakarta, November 9 th – 12 th 2009

I only had a minimum background in structural geology, knew nothing about the importance of stratigraphy and tectonics when interpreting geophysical sections, nothing about geochemistry and mineral deposits, had little experience in planning a scientific programme, etc. The 34 th HAGI Annual Meeting Yogyakarta, November 9 th – 12 th 2009

Still, within a few years I had to look after mineral exploration, groundwater surveys, geothermal exploration, seismic structural surveys (filling in all ‘holes’ in my earth science knowledge) and was declared to be an expert (!) when asked to assist a NZ aid programme involving geothermal exploration of geothermal prospects in Indonesia in 1972! The 34 th HAGI Annual Meeting Yogyakarta, November 9 th – 12 th 2009

ii) My chances to contribute to Geophysics Education My first chance came when I found that geophysics technicians (the back bone of all fieldwork) knew often little about the physical background of geophysical methods – hence, regular geophysics technician teaching courses were arranged from 1967 onwards in NZ. In 1973 I was asked to teach Applied Geophysics at the Geology Dept. at Auckland University. I resisted the temptation to build up a Geophysics Section, but insisted that my students continue with their Geology training and use Geophysics only as a tool for their research work. Field work, field camps became important parts of the syllabus. All my graduates had an equal chance to be employed either as a geologist or as a geophysicist! Widening of the background of students became even more important when I was asked in 1978 by UNDP to build up an academic (post graduate) training course at Auckland to train earth-scientists and engineers, mainly from developing countries, in geothermal exploration and development. With the help of my collegues, we widened background teaching to include geology, geochemistry and geophysics in the syllabus for each earth-science candidate and included drilling, reservoir modelling, fluid production, transmission, and utilization of geothermal energy as common topics for all engineers with a common background course for both disciplines – and it worked. The 34 th HAGI Annual Meeting Yogyakarta, November 9 th – 12 th 2009

iii) My ideas about future Geophysics Education (without specific reference yet to pending global changes) I believe that a wide background education in several earth-science disciplines will be required in future to achieve a balanced education of students in any earth- science discipline. For this it would be helpful if indeed the various earth-science disciplines (i.e. geology, geophysics, and geochemistry) are working together in the same earth-science school or department. This should incorporate environmental studies which require basic earth-science teaching. Teaching of highly specialised topics should be deferred to MSc and PhD oriented special topics lectures. The syllabi of all earth-science schools or departments should be as compatible as possible. Close co-operation with government research institutions, industry and other earth-science schools should became a regular feature of all future earth-science teaching and research at Indonesian universities. The 34 th HAGI Annual Meeting Yogyakarta, November 9 th – 12 th 2009

The link-up between future Geophysics Education and Global Changes Era The global changes which should be named: I assume that for this discussion we have to name some of these changes to see whether geophysics education could or would be affected. i) Population and urbanisation will continue to grow, followed by a growing pollution of air, water, and land. ii) Life sustaining commodities (clean air, clean water, adequate food and shelter) will be degraded. iii) Climate changes will become significant. iv) Fossil fuel resources will decline causing strong moves to use re-newable energy resources which will become the only available energy and electricity resources within a time span of probably just two generations. v) Increasing demand for declining mineral resources. There will also be other sociological and political changes, but changes i), iv), and v) certainly have an impact on future Geophysical Education. I believe that control and monitoring of groundwater and land pollution (especially industrial pollution) will require geophysical methods for control. The 34 th HAGI Annual Meeting Yogyakarta, November 9 th – 12 th 2009

The change from energy production based on (ever declining) fossil fuels to renewable energy sources will be big challenge for Geophysical Education. As an example I like to cite the plans to increase electricity production by re-newable geothermal energy in Indonesia at least fourfold during the next 10 years. This will put a significant demand on the numbers of adequately trained geophysicists and earth scientists during this period although the balance between not hired and hired geophysics graduates as it exists at present might buffer any new increasing demand for such candidates. The search for new mineral resources will increase. The points mentioned indicate that there is a link up between future geophysical education and demands put on our next generation of students and teachers to cope with pending global changes. The 34 th HAGI Annual Meeting Yogyakarta, November 9 th – 12 th 2009