MICHAEL S ZHDANOV portrait
  • Distinguished Professor, Geology & Geophysics
  • Director of the Consortium for Electromagnetic Modeling and Inversion (CEMI), Geology & Geophysics

Current Courses

Fall 2024

  • GEO 5250-001
    Inversion Theory
  • GEO 6250-001
    Inversion Theory & Apps
  • GEO 6920-002
    Special Topics
  • GEO 7920-001
    Special Topics

Spring 2024

Professional Organizations

  • Electromagnetics Academy, USA. 02/01/2002 - present. Position : Fellow.
  • European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers. 02/01/1999 - present. Position : Member.
  • Australian Society of Exploration Geophysics. 02/01/1994 - present. Position : Member.
  • American Geophysical Union. 02/01/1992 - present. Position : Member.
  • Academy of Natural Sciences of Russia. 02/01/1991 - present. Position : Full Member.
  • Society of Exploration Geophysics, USA. 02/01/1991 - present. Position : Honorary Member.

Courses I Teach

  • GEO 5240-6240 - Electromagnetic Methods
    This course focuses on general principles of electromagnetic field behavior. We discuss general concepts of electromagnetic field in geophysics, including Maxwell’s equations and boundary conditions. The course studies electromagnetic properties of rocks. The major geophysical electromagnetic methods are discussed in details. These include the direct current methods, natural-field electromagnetic, and controlled source electromagnetic methods. The different geophysical techniques, e. g. electromagnetic sounding and profiling, are analyzed. The methods of modeling and interpretation of electromagnetic geophysical data are discussed as well.
  • GEO 5250-6250 - Inversion Theory and Applications
    This course focuses on the foundations of the inversion theory and its applications to physics and geophysics. We cover a range of diverse topics spanning forward and inverse problems in geophysics; uniqueness and instability in the solution of inverse problems; ill-posed problems and methods of their solution. The course covers the concepts of regularization theory, linearized inversion technique, and principles of discrete inverse theory. The methods of solving nonlinear inverse problems are studied as well, including gradient type methods, regularized Newton, and conjugate gradient methods.

Teaching Projects

  • Development online course material for GEO 5250-6250 Inversion Theory on Canvas. Project Lead: Michael Zhdanov. 01/03/2022 - 07/22/2022.
  • Development online course material for GEO 5240-6240 Electromagnetic Methods on Canvas. Project Lead: Michael Zhdanov. 01/03/2022 - 07/22/2022.
  • Development online course material for GEO 5250-6250 Inversion Theory on Canvas. Project Lead: Michael Zhdanov. 08/15/2021 - 12/15/2021.
  • Development online course material for GEO 5240-6240 Electromagnetic Methods on Canvas. Project Lead: Michael Zhdanov. 01/01/2021 - 06/01/2021.
  • Development online course material for GEO 5250-6250 Inversion Theory on Zoom. Project Lead: Michael Zhdanov. CEMI 08/01/2020 - 12/31/2020.
  • Development of online course material for GEO 5240-6240 Electromagnetic Methods . Project Lead: Michael Zhdanov. CEMI 01/01/2020 - 05/15/2020.
  • Development of online course material for GEO 3100 Dynamic Earth . Project Lead: Michael Zhdanov. CEMI 01/01/2020 - 05/01/2020.

Current Students

  • Ben Grober, Master of Science (M.S.), Role: Chair.
  • Xiaolei Tu,, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Chair.
  • Michael Jorgensen,, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Chair.
  • Michael Jorgensen,, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Chair.
  • Muran Han,, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Chair.

Former Students

  • Hassan Al Janobi, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Chair.
  • Hassan Al Janobi, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Chair.
  • Sam Buist, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Chair.
  • Sam Buist, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Chair.