Introduction to

Engineering Geology

By:

Dr. Amizatulhani Abdullah

Faculty of Civil Engineering Technology
amizatulhani@ump.edu.my
Course Synopsis
01 Definition of geology

02 Earth science

TOPIC
OUTLINE 03 Formation of geological structure

04 Geomorphology / geological structure

Course Learning Outcome
At the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Use science and mathematical knowledge to

determine soil’s basic properties and the
classification.
Lesson Outcome
At the end of this notes, students should be able to:

• Aware the history of the earth, the geological cycle and

the geological time.
Definition of geology
• Geology is the fascinating study of the Earth, its rocks and minerals.

• Geologists are the 'field hands' of earth science who work to

understand how the dynamic forces which shape our earth work, and
use this knowledge to predict their affect on mankind. Earthquakes,
volcanoes and soil erosion affect all of us: even if the geological event
occurs halfway around the world, we are all touched to a greater or
lesser extent. More than just naming rocks and digging up fossilized
bones, geologists tell us the story of the earth. That story goes back
billions of years, and leaves its impression in the very ground we walk
on.
 Earth science
• Earth can be divided into several layers :
(1) crust, (2) mantle, (3) core.
• Average radius : 6330 km.
• Mass : 5.976 x 1027 gm.
• Average density : 5.51 gm/cm3.
• Diameter from pole : 12713 km.
• Surface area : 510 066 000 km2.

For more info kindly visit to http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/earthfact.html

The Crust
• Lays above the mantle and is the earth's hard outer shell. In relation with the other
layers the crust is much thinner. It floats upon the softer, denser mantle. The crust
is made up of solid material but these material is not everywhere the same.
• Up to 100km.
• Consists of lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.
• The part which all the creatures can live.
• Major element in crust is oxygen (93.8%), silicon (0.9%) and others (% in volume).
The crust consists of two parts:
• the oceanic and
• the continental crust

Oceanic crust:
As the name already suggests, this crust is below the oceans. There, the
crust is 4-7 miles (6-11 km) thick. The rocks of the oceanic crust are very young
compared with the rocks of the continental crust. The rocks of the oceanic crust
are not older than 200 million years. The material of which the oceanic crust
consists is for the greater part tholeiitic basalt (this is basalt without olivine).
Basalt has a dark, fine and gritty volcanic structure. It is formed out of very
liquid lava, which cools off quickly. The grains are so small that they are only
visible under a microscope. The average density of the oceanic crust is 3g/cm³.
Continental crust:
When you look at the globe, you see that the surface of the earth consists of a lot
of water (71%). The other 29% consists of land. You can divide this land into six big
pieces, which are called continents.
The earth's crust is the thickest below the continents, with an average of about
20 to 25 miles (30 to 40 km) and with a maximum of 45 miles (70 km). The continental
crust is older than the oceanic crust, some rocks are 3.8 billion years old.
The continental crust mainly consists of igneous rocks and is divided into two
layers. The upper part mainly consists of granite rocks, while the lower part consists of
basalt and diorite. Granite is lightly-colored, coarse-grain, magma. Diorite has the
same composition, but it's scarcer than granite and is probably formed by impurities in
the granite-magma. The average density of the continental crust is 2.7g/cm³.
The Atmosphere
The earth is surrounded by all kind of gases. This layer is called the earth's
Atmosphere. Without this atmosphere life on earth isn't possible. It gives us air,
water, heat and protects us against harmful rays of the sun and against
meteorites.

This layer around the earth is a colorless, odorless, tasteless 'sea' of gases, water
and fine dust. The atmosphere is made up of different layers with different qualities. It
consists of 78 % nitrogen, 21 % oxygen, 0.93 % argon, 0.03 % carbon dioxide and
0.04 % of other gases.
The Mantle
• The layer above the core is the mantle. It begins about 6 miles(10 km) below the oceanic crust
and about 19 miles (30 km) below the continental crust (see The Crust). The function of the
mantle is to separate the inner mantle and the outer mantle. It is about 1,800 miles (2,900
km) thick and makes up nearly 80 percent of the Earth's total volume. Science deals with the
structure of the mantle in two different ways. One way is based on its chemical construction
(the material), the other on the way layers stream or move.
• Up to 3000km.
• Consists of molten rock (which made the crust in floating condition).
• Divided into 2 : upper and lower mantle.
• Major element in mantle is ferum silicate and magnesium silicate.
• Inner Mantle:
The inner mantle can be found between 190 miles (300 km) an 1,800 miles (2,890 km) below
the earth’s surface. The average temperature is 5400 ºF (3000ºC), nevertheless the rock is solid
because of the high pressures. The inner mantle for the biggest part probably consists of
sulphides and oxides of silicon and magnesium. The density is between 4.3g/cm³ and
5.4g/cm³.

• Outer Mantle:
The outer mantle is a lot thinner than the inner mantle. It can be found between 7 miles (10
km) and 190 miles (300 km) below the surface of the earth. You can divide the outer mantle
into two different layers. The bottom layer is tough liquid rock and probably consists of
silicates of iron and magnesium. The temperature in this part is between 2520 ºF (1400ºC) and
5400 º F (3000ºC) and the density is between 3.4g/cm³ and 4.3g/cm³. The upper layer of the
outer mantle consists of the same material but is stiffer because of its lower temperature.
 The Core
• The inner part of the earth is the core. This part of the earth is about 1,800 miles
(2,900 km) below the earth's surface. The core is a dense ball of the elements iron and
nickel.
• Divided into 2 : outer and inner core.
• Outer core : liquid form (2,200 km thick).
• Inner core : solid form (1,250 km thick).
• The outer core is so hot that the metal is always molten, but the inner core pressures
are so great that it cannot melt, even though temperatures there reach 3700ºC.
• Major element in core is ferum and nikel.
Label the layer of the following cross section.
THANK YOU