Next 5 weeks of lectures:

1. Geological time scale

2. Stratigraphy
3. Geological dating methods
4. Geology of South Africa
5. Weathering
6. Climate change

 In class quizzes
 weekend Vula quiz (for marks)
Class test 22 June
 Next 5 weeks of lectures:

Dr Robyn Pickering
robyn.pickering@uct.ac.za
Room 210
Geological Sciences Building
 Geology for Engineers:

1. Why is geology important for engineers?

2. Why are YOU studying engineering?

From this course:

• Understanding of geological time
• Insight into how we date rocks
• Overview and appreciation of geology of
South Africa
 Geological Time
• A system of chronological dating that relates
geological strata (stratigraphy) to time
• Is used by geologists, palaeontologists, and
other Earth scientists to describe the timing
and relationships of events that have occurred
during Earth's history.
• A vertical timeline or time frame for the entire
geological history of the Earth
• Covers ~4.6 billion years to present
 Geological Time Scale
• A vertical timeline for the entire geological
history of the Earth

GEOLOGICAL TIME vs HUMAN TIME

YEARS (a) seconds (s)
minutes
billions (Ga) weeks, months
millions (Ma)
thousands (ka) YEARS (a)
Geological Time
 Geological Time Scale
• Period = time interval on
the geological scale
separated by boundaries
• Boundaries = refer to
major events in the
development of
organisms, i.e. evolution
of plants and animals
Geological Time Scale: Eons
• Hadean: time before Archaen, no
evidence for life
4.6 – 4.0 billion years

• Archaen: “original or ancient”, first

single-celled organisms evolve, bacteria
4.0 billion – 2.5 million years
Geological Time Scale: Eons
• Proterozoic: “before animal life”, simple
organisms, algae, worm-like creatures,
bacteria
2.5 million – 542 million years

• Phanerazoic: period of abundant,

complex life on earth, 542 Ma to present
542 million - today
• Period = last 550 Ma
• Epoch = last 60 Ma
Geological Time Scale: Eras
• Phanerozoic Eon: 3 Eras
• Cenozoic = ‘recent life’,
mammals, birds,
flowering plans, ray-
finned fishes
• Mesozoic = ‘middle life’,
dinosaurs, cycads, ferns
• Palaeozoic = ‘ancient
life’, many forms of life
originated, some went
extinct (trilobites)
Geological Time Scale
Geological Highlights of South Africa
• Some of the world’s oldest rock
• Some of earliest traces of life
• Incredible Archean record (rare elsewhere)
• See rise of atmospheric oxygen
• Mountain chains and huge basins
• World’s best record of mammal-like reptile evolution
• Critical piece of the puzzle for understanding plate
tectonics
• Early human (hominin) fossils and stone tools
Geological Highlights of South Africa
• World leader in Economic Geology
• Gold
• Diamonds
• Platinum Group Elements
• Base metals
 Discoveries of diamonds and gold shaped colonial
history of South Africa
 Resource based economy today
 Interesting new tensions around mining
 Geological tour of South Africa
• Through time, around the country
• Achaean, early life
• Witwatersrand Gold deposits
• Rise of early oxygen, dolomites and BIFs
• Bushveld Igneous Complex and PGEs
• Major suture zones, super continents
• Cape Fold Belt/Karoo Basins
• Cenozoic basins
• Early human (hominin) record
 Further reading
• The Story of Earth & Life, McCarthy & Rubidge
• Geological Journeys, Norman & Whitfield
• An Introduction to South Africa’s Geological and
Mining Heritage, Viljoen & Reimold
Geological Time