Geological Field Techniques

Ellasy Gulule Chimimba

 Cross-Sections
• No geological map can be considered complete until at least one
cross section has been drawn to show the geology in depth
• Cross-sections explain the structure of a region far more clearly
than a planimetric map
• A geologic map represents the geometric relationship between
the various rock units faults at the surface.
• Any interpretation of the subsurface must be consistent with
the geologic control, and style of deformation revealed by the
map; as well as with the information available from the
subsurface (wells, seismic profiles).
 guiding principles that governs the
construction of geological cross section
• The level of the cross section corresponding to the Earth’s
surface must match the cross-section line on the map
• Sedimentary units have approximately constant thickness
• A layer of rock does not just disappear for no reason, if it
stops it must stop at a fault or an unconformity
• What you see on the surface is unlikely to continue down to
the mantle, extrapolate downwards sensibly
 Construction of Cross-Section

• Define the plane section (in general vertical but not necessarily).
• Determine topographic profile (without any vert. exaggeration)
• Plot geologic data (measurements of strike and dip; intersections of
stratigraphic contacts; faults).
• Extrapolate and interpolate data.
 Select a section line
 Construct a topographic profile along the line of section
 Transfer contacts from the map to the topographic
profile
 Project dip data into the cross section line
 Calculate and plot apparent dips on the topographic
profile
 Construct the subsurface interpretation
 Selecting a Section Line
• Identify regional structural trends
• Draw section line perpendicular to regional structural
trends and through areas that best depict the
structure
• May need more than one section line
• Draw sections through area(s) with the best
structural control
• Most reliable contacts
• Nearby structural data
Constructing a Topographic Profile
Step 1: Mark the intersection of each topographic contour line
with the section line
Step 2: Graph the elevation of each point in its
appropriate position
 Step 3: Connect the Dots

Use logical, whole number

increments for the vertical scale.

Label both sides of the cross section. Include directions on either side of the graph (east-west or north-
south). Also include horizontal and vertical scale in text.
Label endpoints
 Transferring Contacts from the Map to the Topographic
Profile

Step 1: Mark the intersection of each contact, fault or

unconformity with the section line
http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/homes/mattal/Maps.pdf
 Transferring Contacts from the Map to the
Topographic Profile

Step 1: Mark the intersection of each contact, fault or

unconformity with the section line

Step 2: Transfer the location of each contact, fault or

unconformity marked on the section line to the
topographic profile
 Projecting Dip Data into the
Cross Section Line
• Step 1: Identify which dip data you will use
• Use data that occurs in a narrow band along either side of
your section line
• Projection distance is inversely proportional to structural
complexity
 Projecting Dip Data into the
Cross Section Line
• Step 2: Project the data into the cross section line
• Project parallel to strike to the point where the projection
line intersects the section line
• Do not project across formation boundaries, faults or
unconformities
• Intuitively use data close to the section, even if it doesn’t
project into the section line
• e.g. contacts striking parallel to the section line will appear
horizontal in the section plane
 Projecting Dip Data into the
Cross Section Line
Step 3: Transfer the location of each projected dip data
point to the topographic profile (tadpole)
Davis and Reynolds, ‘Structural Geology’
Davis and Reynolds, ‘Structural Geology’
 Geological Cross section
• They represents a vertical slice through a portion of
the earth
 Geological Cross section
• Practice on creating geological section from pages 235
to 237 in the book Geological field techniques by Cole,
A et al (2010)
 Displacement
 Slickensides
 River changing course
 Where there uncountable changes in lithology
 Where the sequences are repeated
 Where strikes of specific beds cannot be projected to the next exposure