ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the physical properties of the materials that make up the Earth and focuses on the parts of the Earth's surface where engineering work is conducted. It discusses the broad outlines of the Earth's structure to establish the general distribution of rocks and magma and also focuses on geophysical properties in a summary fashion to understand their near-surface effects and their influence on human activities. Four types of geophysical parameters are of prime importance: the field of mechanical stresses, density, magnetic properties, and temperature. The chapter also discusses properties that have only a minor practical importance to engineers in a rudimentary way. It explores the numerous reasons for earthquakes and distinguishes simple translation of time series of ground movement (acceleration, velocity, and movement) and more elaborate treatments that analyze the spectral content of vibrations. The chapter determines a very approximate relationship between the intensity and magnitude scales.
