Field Geology

Introduction

Before going out into the field it is necessary to:

 Assemble all of the field equipment that you might need

 Assess any safety issues
 If necessary obtain permission to visit the area.

Both the safety and permission aspects may require documentation to

be completed.

Advices and recommendations

 The main aim of field geology is to observe and collect data from
rocks and/or unconsolidated deposits, which will further our
understanding of the physical, chemical and biological processes that
have occurred over geological time.
 To get the most out of these rocks, it is necessary to undertake precise
and accurate fieldwork. finding the most suitable exposures from
which to collect the data.
 The secret of successful fieldwork is a keen eye for detail and an
enquiring mind (need to keep an open mind); knowing what to expect
and what to look for are important.
 Be observant, see everything in the outcrop, then think about the
features seen and look again.

Tools of the Trade

 A notebook (popular size around 20 × 10 cm) (making a good record

of the data collected; preferably a record that can be understood by
others and can be used years after the data were collected), pens,
pencils, appropriate clothing, footwear and a rucksack.
 The basic equipment of a field geologist comprises a hammer, chisel,
hand-lens (an essential piece of equipment; ×10 magnification)
 compass-clinometer, tape measure, acid bottle, sample bags and
marker pen.
 A hard hat for protection when working below cliffs and in quarries,
and safety goggles for the protection of the eyes while hammering
(safety considerations).
 A camera, plus spare memory, is invaluable.
 Topographic and geological maps should also be carried, as well as
any pertinent literature.
 Non-geological items which are useful and can be carried in a rucksack
include a whistle, first-aid equipment, matches, emergency rations,
knife, waterproof clothing.

The Key questions for geological fieldwork (what, where, and how)

Some of the key questions for geological fieldwork and a systematic way of
overcoming the challenge of collecting data and understanding an exposure.
The key questions are:

1- What are the objectives of the fieldwork?

2- Where is the best place to gather the data?
3- How do I precisely determine my position?
4- Faced with a new exposure, where do I start?
5- What is the most appropriate way of collecting the data?

The objectives of the fieldwork

Table below illustrate the common objectives for completing geological fieldwork:

Overall objective Main data to collect

Gain a general insight into the Lithology, structural and age data from
geology of an area selected representative exposures

Locate mineral resources Mapping and collection of samples for

analysis
 Collect zonal significant body fossils
systematically through the stratigraphy or
Biostratigraphy
samples for microfossil analysis

Determine the overall mineralogy and rock

fabric including the presence/absence and
Determine the nature and order of a
composition of phenocrysts, and size, shape
series of igneous events
and fabric of any vesicles; examine the cross -
cutting and chilling relationships

Prediction and monitoring of Mapping and geophysical measurements

earthquakes

Deciding where to do the fieldwork

If you are going into a field area for the first time and do not have a specific
set of locations to visit based on published information from previous
research on the area, spend a few hours or days completing a
reconnaissance of the area to find the exposures that are most suitable for
the objectives of the fieldwork.

Table illustrate the possible places to search for exposures.

Potential exposure sites

semi - arid and arid areas

All river and stream sections, especially where there is a gradient

sea - cliffs

Mine and quarry workings

Footings of construction sites

Road cuts, Tunnels

Animal burrows, Uprooted tree bases

Locating your position
Geological data are spatial therefore it is very important to be able to record
the position of geological features accurately.

 If you are using a GPS, the first part of this is locating the position
of the exposure.
 Your position might also be immediately obvious from a
topographical map.

When it is not possible to use either of these methods, in this case use your
compass for triangulation.

where to start?
Start at the large regional scale: this will provide the overall context. Then,
consider the whole exposure, followed by units within the exposure and
finally focus down to the hand specimen scale.

Before starting any fieldwork, it is essential to research the regional setting,

context and previous work. Aside from books, scientific papers and maps on
the regional geology, web – based satellite image display systems such as
Google Earth provide an easy way of investigating the general lie of the land
and making preliminary observations on a large spatial scale and in some
cases in more detail. A desktop regional study may be used to gather
information on: access to the field locality and within it; the overall
topography; the type and location of potential exposures; the general
structure and strike of the beds.

Your preliminary observations of the large - scale features in the exposure

should include the following:

 Nature of the contacts: Note whether the contacts are gradational

(e.g. colour change between units) or sharp and whether they are
planar or irregular (note the geometry).
  Lateral changes in thickness: Note the position and amount of any
changes. These might relate to processes such as erosion, faulting,
fluvial or submarine channels, thinning of a dyke or sill, changes in
depositional conditions of sedimentary and extrusive rocks.
Note which units change in thickness and which are cut out.
 Cross - cutting relationships: Look for cross - cutting. For instance, an
igneous body cutting through older strata, or an angular
unconformity.
 Evidence of displacement and deformation: Look for folding and
faults.
 Angular unconformities: Look for a change in the rock type associated
with a change in the bedding orientation.
 Whether any of the units are massive (i.e. structureless), whether any
of the units break into slabs or are crumbly, whether there any notable
changes in vegetation that may be associated with changes in
lithology (i.e. depending on mineralogy and permeability different
rock types support different plants or have different moisture
contents), whether the change in weathering matches with a change
in colour, which together imply a change in lithology.

Hand specimens
When you select a loose sample, or an area of the unit to examine closely,
check that it is representative of the unit being examined and that it has at
least one very fresh surface. Loose specimens can be hammered to obtain a
fresh surface.

To select a representative part, you should consider the main features of the
unit. For instance, if 80% of the unit is sandstone and the other 20% is a
muddy sandstone then ensure that you have a specimen of the main
sandstone.
The questions and notes provide deciding whether the rock is igneous,
metamorphic or sedimentary. As well as the composition and texture of the
rock, its context should provide a good indication of the category that the
rock type belongs to.

Some questions to think about when deciding whether a rock is igneous,

metamorphic or sedimentary:

 Is the rock made up of interlocking crystals, or made up of crystals in

a fine – grained
 What are the major minerals in the rock?
 Does the rock body show layering?
 What is the geometry of the rock body? (sills and dykes)
 Does the rock show a mineral foliation?
 Does the rock show distinct cooling joints?
 Fossils are absent or present?
 Complex bedding structures (sedimentary structurers) present such as
cross - stratification and ripple marks are confined to sedimentary
rock.

Field sketches: A picture is worth a thousand words

 Sketches form a vital part of all geological field notebooks.

 Sketches are one of the best ways of recording and conveying
geological information.

Fossils are smart particles

 Body fossils may be large, as in the case of a complete mummified
mammoth, or microscopic, such as a pollen grain.
 Not only do they yield information about energy levels and
provenance like other types of sedimentary grain, they are also
sensitive to factors such as climatic conditions, time, salinity,
correlation of rock units, water depth and hydrocarbon potential of
a rock unit.
True Thickness calculation (CALCULATING BED THICKNESSES)