Institute of Technology of Cambodia

Introduction to the Brunton Compass

KRET Kakda (PhD); PECH Sopheab (Master)

Faculty of Geo-Resources and Geo-Technical

Engineering
Institute of Technology of Cambodia

2023-2024
 315 45

N.W N.E

270 90

W E

S.W S.E

225 135

180
 Parts of the Brunton Compass

Mirror

Lift Pin for

Needle

Compass Needle
Card
Bull’s Eye
Level
Sighting Arm
Clinometer
Level
Image from: http://courses.geo.ucalgary.ca/glgy203/images/sd.htm

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin

Parts of the Compass Face

Image from: http://courses.geo.ucalgary.ca/glgy203/images/sd.htm

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin

 Compass Mastery

• Locate North, Set local declination

• Measure Bearings

• Measure Strike and Dip of planes

• Measure Trend and Plunge of lines

• Measure Vertical Angles

o measuring height / thickness of a feature

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin

 Recording a Bearing
Bearing: direction from one point to another
NO
Recording notation: 360

• Azimuth: “247°”
NW NE
O
W 270O 90 E
O
O 67 SE
247

O.
180
S

• Quadrant:“S 67°W”

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin

 Measuring Strike
Strike: Direction of the line of intersection between a
tilted plane and a horizontal plane
Aerial View: Strike of Dipping
Strata

Strike

Strike

(E.F. McBride)

Image from: http://courses.geo.ucalgary.ca/glgy203/images/sd.htm

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin

 Measuring Strike

Measuring a field book that defines the tilted plane of interest

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin

 Measuring Strike
Strike: Direction of the line of intersection between a
tilted plane and a horizontal plane
Strike

Images from: http://courses.geo.ucalgary.ca/glgy203/images/sd.htm

• Compass must be horizontal (bull’s eye bubble

centered), with compass edge flush to the tilted plane
M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin
 Recording Strike
In the picture at left, is the strike 157o or 337o?
Right-hand Rule:
• Record the bearing in the
direction that places the
dip direction of the plane to
the right (clockwise from)
strike.
Answer: 337o Strike

Strike

Images from: http://courses.geo.ucalgary.ca/glgy203/images/sd.htm

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin

 Measuring Dip
Dip: The maximum slope of a plane, measured from
horizontal. The dip direction is always perpendicular to strike.

The dip direction is:

W E
• The “fall line” in
Horizontal
skiing
Dip Angle
• The direction water
runs down a
sloping surface
• The direction a
pebble rolls down a
sloping surface
(E.F. McBride)

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin

 Measuring Dip

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin

 Measuring Dip
Images from:
http://courses.geo.ucalgary.ca/glgy203/images/sd.htm

• Place compass on its

side, perpendicular to
strike

• Level the clinometer

(center the bubble)

• Read the dip, i.e. 36o

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin
 Recording Strike & Dip
Shorthand Notation:
337/36o
or
337/36o NE

• “NE” records the dip

direction, but is redundant
if the right-hand rule is
followed

Images from:
http://courses.geo.ucalgary.ca/glgy203/images/sd.htm

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin

 shddin © 2013
Orientation of a Dipping Plane - Contact Method

2. Strike direction
Take the reading of the strike from the dial. In this case it is 008° or the other end of
the line, 188°.
 shddin © 2013
Orientation of a Dipping Plane - Contact Method

3. Dip magnitude
Read off the maximum dip. In this case it is 12°.
 shddin © 2013
Orientation of a Dipping Plane - Contact Method

5. Record
Record the orientation of the plane in your notebook; in this case 008/12E. Note that the
strike is always recorded as a 3-digit number to avoid any confusion and that the degree
symbols are not normally shown to prevent any confusion with zeros.
Recording Dip & Strike
Strike and dip symbols are drawn on a geologic map for
each outcrop with dipping or tilted beds
The long line of the symbol is aligned with the compass
direction of the strike
The small tick, which is always drawn perpendicular to the
strike line, is put on one side or the other, depending on
which of the two directions the beds actually dip
The angle of dip is
given as a number
next to the symbol
on the map
Beds with vertical
dip require a
unique symbol
Recording Dip & Strike
Geologic Cross
Section
A geologic cross
section represents a
vertical slice through
a portion of Earth
On a geologic map,
cross sections are
constructed by
projecting the dip of
rock units into the
subsurface
 shddin © 2013
Notation of Bearing
▪ Expressing the bearing of planes (stike)

1. The azimuth method (based on 360°.

clockwise circle)
2. The quadrant method (based on four 90°.

quadrants; reading from North or South).

▪ Examples:
a. A plane that strikes northwest-southeast and
dips 50o southwest could be described as:

315°, 50°SW (azimuth), or

N45°W, 50°SW (quadrant).
 shddin © 2013
Notation of Bearing
▪ For azimuth notation:
▪ use three digits (e.g., 008°, 065°,
255°) so that a bearing cannot be
confused with a dip (two digits)
▪ use ‘left-hand’ rule to define
relationship between strike and dip
direction.

Exercises
Translate the azimuth convention into Circle those attitudes that are
the quadrant convention, or vice impossible (i.e., a bed with the
versa: indicated strike cannot possibly dip in
a) N12°E = f) N37°W = the direction indicated).
b) 298° = g) 233° = a) 314°, 49°NW f) 333°, 15°SE
c) N86°W = h) 270° = b) 086°, 43°W g) 089°, 43°N
d) N55°E = i) 083° = c) N15°W, 87°NW h) 065°, 36°SW
e) 126° = j) N3°W = d) 345°, 62°NE i) N65°W, 54°SE
e) 062°, 32°S
 shddin © 2013
Notation of Bearing
▪ For azimuth notation:
▪ use three digits (e.g., 008°, 065°,
255°) so that a bearing cannot be
confused with a dip (two digits)
▪ use ‘left-hand’ rule to define
relationship between strike and dip
direction.

Exercises
Translate the azimuth convention into Circle those attitudes that are
the quadrant convention, or vice impossible (i.e., a bed with the
versa: indicated strike cannot possibly dip in
a) N12°E = 192° f) N37°W = 323° the direction indicated).
b) 298° = N62°W g) 233° = S53°W a) 314°, 49°NW f) 333°, 15°SE
c) N86°W = 274° h) 270° =N90°W b) 086°, 43°W g) 089°, 43°N
d) N55°E = 55° i) 083° =N7°E c) N15°W, 87°NW h) 065°, 36°SW
e) 126° = 54° j) N3°W =357° d) 345°, 62°NE i) N65°W, 54°SE
e) 062°, 32°S
 N

W E

S
23
Plot the Planes
034/25NW
104/65S
177/33E
065/82NW
Thank you.