WHAT IS GEOLOGY?

GEOLOGY IS THE SCIENCE THAT DEALS WITH THE ORIGIN, AGE, COMPOSITION,
INTERNAL STRUCTURE, SURFACE FEATURES AND HISTORY OF THE EARTH. IT
INCLUDES THE PROCESSES TAKING PLACE INSIDE THE EARTH, DISCOVERING ITS
MINERAL WEALTH, AND TECHNIQUES TO PRESERVE THE EARTH. (DUGGAL, 2014)
The application of geology to engineering projects is known as “engineering
geology”.
It may be defined as the application of geological data, techniques, and
principles for the study of:

1.Naturally occurring rock and soil materials, and surface and sub-surface
fluids
2.Interaction of introduced materials and processes with the geologic
environment, and geological factors affecting the planning, design,
construction, operation and maintenance of engineering structures.
3.Recognition, protection, development and remediation of groundwater
resources.
 
For this reason, erosional and geological process which cause the   stability of the rocks and
ground and their changes are important for engineering.

Application of the geologic sciences to engineering practices ensures that the geological factors
affecting the location, design, construction, operation and maintenance of engineering works are
recognized and adequately provided for.
APPLICATION:

Infrastructures Development
 
•Planning
•Design
•Construction
 
•Planning
During the planning stage of a civil engineering project, there may be several possible
optional sites/routes. The objective of the engineering geologic studies is to give
comparative evaluation of all the options so as to confirm the most feasible and optimum
one.
Planning:
-- Topography
•The topographic maps, the presence and nature of slopes, size,
•contours, depths of valleys and gorges, and the rate of change of elevation are the
parameters in helping to decide the most suitable site for construction.
            —        Geology
•The geological maps of different scales for the proposed site are useful in depicting the
petrological character and structural behavior of rock types. The information with regards
to the location and the limit of exploratory operations (location of test boreholes, trial
pits, etc.) for subsurface investigations, ground improvements, etc., is decided, based
upon the geological maps
—        Hydrology
•Hydrological maps are useful in establishing the distribution and geometry of the
surface water channels, their occurrence and depth below the surface of the earth.
•Design

The geological characters and conditions finally dictate the engineering design of
the project. Some of the geological characters that have a direct or indirect bearing
upon the design of a proposed project.
 
Example:
•If a choice to be made for the type of dam amongst earthen, gravity and arch
dams, the geological conditions of the site will govern. (The profile of the gorge or
the valley, the strength of the rocks at the base and on the embankments need very
thorough testing and analysis before deciding the final size, shape and other design
parameters of the dam)
•Construction

Geological background is of great importance in engineering project’s execution.

Selection of appropriate construction materials derived from the natural bedrocks
requires geological base.

Therefore, stability of a structure constructed on rocks, or through rocks, or with

aggregate from rocks depends considerably on the understanding of the nature of
rocks.
Disciplines Involved in Engineering Geology

•Mineralogy
•Petrology
•Structural Geology
•Physical Geology
•Geomorphology
•Hydrology
Mineralogy is the systematic study that deals with the characteristics of minerals. The
mineralogy has more scientific branches such as the following:

1. Crystallography studies crystal forms, that is, forms in which the minerals

crystallize, as well as their internal structure, relations, and distribution of atoms, ions,
or ionic groups in the crystal lattice.

2. Physical mineralogy is the study of physical properties of minerals, such as cohesion

cleavage, elasticity, color, luster, streak, hardness, and average density
3. Optical, thermal, and magnetic properties, electrical conductivity,
radioactivity, and so on.

4. Chemical mineralogy is the study of chemical formula, percentage

contribution of individual elements, and other chemical properties of the
minerals.

5. Classification of minerals based on metallic/nonmetallic type (iron ore

and quartz), chemistry (oxides, sulfides, arsenide, and silicates).
6. Descriptive mineralogy deals with the classification of minerals into groups
based on their common properties, mostly chemical and structural properties.

7. Environmental mineralogy narrates the complex and very different conditions of

the origin of the minerals, explores the possible hazards associated with specific
minerals/elements or industry, if any, optimum consumption, recycling, and
sustainable development.
• Petrology, scientific study of rocks that deals with their composition, texture, and
structure; their occurrence and distribution; and their origin in relation to
physicochemical conditions and geologic processes.
• It is concerned with all three major types of rocks—igneous, metamorphic, and
sedimentary. Petrology includes the subdisciplines of experimental petrology and
petrography.
• Experimental petrology involves the laboratory synthesis of rocks for the purpose of
ascertaining the physical and chemical conditions under which rock formation occurs.
• Petrography is the study of rocks in thin section by means of a petrographic microscope
(i.e., an instrument that employs polarized light that vibrates in a single plane).
Petrography is primarily concerned with the systematic classification and precise
description of rocks.
Structural geology, scientific discipline that is concerned
with rock deformation on both a large and a small scale.

Its scope of study is vast, ranging from submicroscopic

lattice defects in crystals to fault structures and fold systems
of the Earth’s crust.
physical geology, scientific discipline that is concerned with all aspects of the
Earth’s structure, composition, physical properties, constituent rocks and
minerals, and surficial features.

Accordingly, physical geology is essentially a superdiscipline that overlaps

such disciplines as geophysics, geochemistry, mineralogy, petrology,
structural geology, and geomorphology
Physical geology is the branch of geology that deals with geologic events and
materials occurring at the present time, or in the very near past. This is in
contrast to historical geology, which involves studying the fossil record and
rock record for evidence of past geologic processes, materials, and life forms.

Physical geologists study current processes, like volcanoes, earthquakes,

erosion, weathering, and glaciers. They use their understanding of historical
geological processes to understand what might be causing current geologic
processes to take place, as well as utilizing new technologies and techniques.

Physical geologists share some similarities with medical doctors, in that they
use a combination of prior knowledge and newly acquired knowledge and
technology to help solve scientific problems.
Geomorphology is the study of landforms, their processes, form and sediments at the
surface of the Earth (and sometimes on other planets).

Study includes looking at landscapes to work out how the earth surface processes, such
as air, water and ice, can mould the landscape. Landforms are produced by erosion or
deposition, as rock and sediment is worn away by these earth-surface processes and
transported and deposited to different localities.

The different climatic environments produce different suites of landforms. The

landforms of deserts, such as sand dunes and ergs, are a world apart from the glacial
and periglacial features found in polar and sub-polar regions. Geomorphologists map
the distribution of these landforms so as to understand better their occurrence.
The scientific study of the properties, distribution, and effects of water on the earth's
surface, in the soil and underlying rocks, and in the atmosphere.

The scientific study of the properties, distribution, and effects of water as a liquid,
solid, or gas on the Earth's surface, in the soil and underlying rocks, and in the
atmosphere.

The science dealing with the waters of the earth, their distribution on the surface and
underground, and the cycle involving evaporation, precipitation, flow to the seas, etc.