Office of Academic Affairs
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal

EES 318: Basic Field Geology (3)

Prerequisites (Desirable): All EES 300 level courses credited or registered

Learning Objectives:

This course is intended to complement the material covered in EES theory courses. Earth scientists use a number of field methods to decipher Earth history and understand the processes that occur on and beneath the Earth’s surface. This course will introduce students to the basic practices of field geology and impress upon them the importance of making rigorous field observations in the Earth and environmental sciences.

Course Contents:

Pre-Field Work:

Understanding remote sensing images and satellite data; Learning to read a toposheet; Using a GPS, brunton, and clinometer; Maintainance of a field notebook.

Field Work:

Day 1
Use of topographical sheets; Identification of topographical features in the field that are marked on toposheets; Orientation of toposheet with the geographical north; Location of position in the toposheet using the method of back bearings; Introduction to Global Positioning System (GPS).

Days 2 to 4
Practice for determination of locations; Identification of outcrops and rock units, study of hand samples in the field; Documentation of outcrops; Determination of dip and strike; Tracing units along strike; Plotting of data in the toposheet to prepare a map.

Days 5 to 7
Identification of gap areas to complete the locality map, collection of samples; Understanding and
summarizing the sequence of events; Synthesis of data from different spatial locations; Geological cross-sections and inference of geological history; Interim field report.

Post-Field Work:

Preparing a final field report; Preparation of maps and logs using software ROCKWARE and GEO-ORIENT; Complete documentation of all samples collected.

Suggested Readings :

1. Compton, R. R., 1982, Geology in the Field, John Wiley and Sons.
2. Coe, A. L., 2010, Geological Field Techniques, Wiley-Blackwell.
3. Lisle, R. J., Brabham, P., Barnes, J. W., 2011, Basic Geological Mapping (5^th Edition), Wiley Publications.

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