Main Branches of Geology: deformations, dislocations and

disturbances under the influence of

Geology: deals with different aspects
tectonic forces.
of the earth as a whole such as origin,
evolution, materials making up the Historical Geology: study of the
earth, and structure. earth’s history through sedimentary
rocks. It is also called stratigraphy
Engineering Geology: discipline of
because these subject deals details and
applying geological data, techniques,
description of sedimentary rock
and principles to the study both of
sequences.
rock and soil materials, and geological
environment. Palaeontology: Such relics and
Physical Geology: deals with remnants of ancient life preserved in
different physical features of the rocks by natural processes are known
earth, such as mountains, plateaus, as fossils.
valleys, rivers, lakes, glaciers, and
Economic Geology: Minerals can be
volcanoes.
grouped as general rock-forming
Mineralogy: deals with the study of minerals and economic minerals.
minerals. Minerals are basic units
with which different rocks and ores of
Allied branches of Geology:
the earth are made up of.
Engineering Geology: deals with the
Petrology: deals with the study of
application of geological knowledge
rock. The earth’s crust, also called
in the field of civil engineering, for
lithosphere, is made up of different
execution of safe stable and economic
types of rocks.
construction like dams, bridges, and
Structural Geology: The rocks which
tunnels.
form the earth’s crust undergo various
Mining Geology: deals the
application of geological knowledge
in the field of mining.
Geophysics: study of physical
properties like density and magnetism
of the earth or its art, to know its
interior.
Engineering Geophysics: branch of
applied geophysics which aims at
solving civil engineering problems by
interpreting substances geology of
areas concerned.
Geohydrology (hydrogeology): deals
with the occurrences, movement and
nature of groundwater in an area.
Geochemistry: deals with the
occurrence, distribution, mobility and
etc.
The Earth’s and It’s Origin:
Earth
- Largest of several rocky planets
in our Solar system.
- Nearly spherical
- Measuring 12,714km from pole
to pole and 12,756km around
the equator.
- Orbits the sun at an average
distance of 150 million km.
Structure of the Earth:
Core Structure: Interior of the earth
comes from the study of seismic
waves from earthquakes.
Crust: brittle outmost layer varies in
thickness from about 25 to 70 km
under continents, and from about 5 to
10 km under the oceans.
Mantle: extending to a depth of 2890
km. It consists of dense silicate rocks.
Core: At a depth of about 2900 km is
the boundary between mantle and
earth’s core. The core is composed of
iron and we know that it exists
because it refracts seismic waves.
Importance of Geology in Civil
Engineering
- Civil engineers aim at safety,
stability, economy and life of
 the structure that they design
and construct.
Structure Failures Due to
Geological Causes:
- St. Francis Dam Disaster
- Tunnel Excavation Failure for
Kolkata Metro Tunnel
Weathering
Weather Process: process that
changes solid rock into sediments.
The four forces of erosion are water,
wind, glaciers, and gravity.
- Water: responsible for most
erosion. Can move most sizes
of sediments
- Wind: moves sand-sized and
smaller pieces of rock through
the air
- Glaciers: moves all sizes of
sediments, from extremely
large boulders to the tiniest
fragments.
- Gravity: moves broken pieces
of rock, large or small, down
slope.
Denudation: forces of weathering and
mass wasting gradually wear those
rocks and landscapes away.
Mechanical Weathering
Mechanical Weathering: also called
physical weathering, breaks rock into
smaller pieces. That means the rock
has changed physically without
changing its composition.
Ice wedging: also called (freeze-thaw
weathering) the main form of
mechanical weathering in any climate
that regularly cycles above and below
freezing in the day and night.
Talus: ice wedging breaks apart so
much rock that large piles of broken
rock are seen at the base of a hillside
Abrasions: another form of
mechanical weathering, one rock
bumps against another rock.

Chemical Weathering
Chemical weathering: rock changes,
not just in size of pieces, but in
composition. One type of mineral
changes into a different mineral.
Hydrolysis: the name of the chemical
reaction between a chemical
compound and water.
Chemical Weather by Carbon
Dioxide: combines with water as
raindrops fall through the atmosphere.
This makes a weak acid, called
carbonic acid. Carbonic acid is a very
common in nature where it works to
dissolve rock.
Chemical Weather by Oxygen:
Oxidation is a chemical reaction that
takes place when oxygen reacts with
another element.
Influence on Weathering:
Rock and Mineral Type: Weathering
rates depend on several factors. These
include the composition of the rock
and the minerals it contains as well as
the climate of a region.
- Igneous Rock: especially
igneous rock such as granite,
weather slowly because it is
hard for water to penetrate
them.
- Limestone: easily weathered
because they dissolve in weak
acids.
Climate: determined by the
temperature of a region plus the
amount of precipitation it receives.
- Temperature increases:
chemical reactions proceed
more rapidly at higher
temperatures.
- Precipitation increases: More
water allows more chemical
reactions.
 Weathering, erosion, and deposition

Earthquakes

Earthquake:

Geology and Engineering Geology

The planet earths