STUDY OF
GEOLOGICAL MAPS
AND CROSS-SECTION
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WHAT ARE GEOLOGICAL MAPS.?
• A map is described as representation of an area on a plain paper to a
scale.
• The geological map is one which reveals the geological information
in terms of topography, lithology, and geological structure, order of
superposition, thickness of beds and geological history of that region.
• A geological map is a contour map over which geological formations,
structures etc. are marked.
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APPLICATION IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
• The study of geological maps is most important for safe, stable,
successful and economical Civil Engineering constructions such as
dams, reservoirs, tunnels, etc. Proper interpretation of a geological map
provides all details which a Civil Engineer requires.
• Proper interpretation of the information available from the geological
maps is also important in order to avert any future catastrophe.
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INTERPRETATION OF MAPS
• In a geological map, normally contours are marked as dotted lines with
elevation value and bedding planes, fault planes etc. are marked as
continuous lines. The interpretation comprises of details of topography,
lithology, structure and geological history.
• Interpretation of topography refers to the determination of maximum height,
minimum height, surface relief of a particular feature etc and also the nature
of slope whether it is uniform or not.
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INTERPRETATION OF MAPS
• Interpretation of lithology and the structure refers to the determination
of orientation of bedding planes whether horizontal, vertical or inclined.
• In case of horizontal beds, the bedding planes and associating contour
lines are parallel to each other.
• In case of vertical beds, the bedding planes appear as straight lines and
also cuts across the associating contours, it indicates beds are vertical.
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IMPORTANT TERMS
1. DIP
•It is defined as the maximum angle of
inclination of a layer of a rock with the
horizontal. It is expressed both in terms of
degree of inclination and direction of
inclination.
•The angle of dip is measured with the help of
an instrument called CLINOMETER which comes
built in with the compass.
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IMPORTANT TERMS
[Link]
•Itis the geographic direction given by the line
of intersection of a horizontal plane with a
bedding plane of a layer of rock.
•Itis also measured with the help of a
compass.
•Theattitude of the rocks i.e. the strike and the
dip help the geologists in constructing the
accurate geological maps & cross-sections.
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IMPORTANT TERMS
[Link]-LINE
•These are the lines drawn on the map to
represent the points of equal elevation and
thus represent the shape of the terrain.
•The even spacing between two contour lines
is termed as the contour interval.
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IMPORTANT TERMS
[Link] & FAULTS
•Folds may be defined as undulations
developed in the rocks of the crust as a
result of stresses over a period of time.
•Faults are the planes of detachment
resulting when rocks on either side of the
displacement slip past each other.
Structurally, faults are the fractures along
which relative displacement of adjacent
blocks has taken place.
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IMPORTANT TERMS
[Link]
•Any geological formation usually a rock
exposed on the surface is termed as an
outcrop.
•These are mostly formed by the
removal of overlying layers due to the
weathering action.
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IMPORTANT TERMS
[Link]
•Unconformities are the buried
erosional or non depositional surfaces
separating two rock masses or strata of
different ages indicating a hiatus in the
sediment deposition.
• In general, it refers that the older
layers were exposed to erosion for a
certain time period before the
deposition of younger layers.
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BEDDING PLANE & ITS TYPES
• Bedding plane refers to a surface that separates each successive layer of a
stratified rock from its preceding [Link] is also called as the plane of
deposition or stratification plane.
• The strata are layered in the same order that they were deposited,permitting
discrimination as to which beds are younger and which older.
• The bed forms the basic lithostratigraphic unit usually ranging in thickness
from a centimeter to several meters.
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TYPES OF
BEDDING
PLANES
[Link] BEDS:-If the bedding planes
and the associating contours are mutually
parallel, it indicates beds are horizontal
•In case of horizontal beds, the highest
elevation is the youngest and does not have
strike and dip.
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TYPES OF
BEDDING
PLANES
[Link] BEDS:-If the bedding planes
appear as straight lines and also cut across
the associating contours, it indicates beds are
vertical.
•In case of vertical beds the bedding plane is
itself in the strike direction and there is no
dip direction but dip amount is 90.
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TYPES OF
BEDDING
PLANES
•[Link] PLANES:- If the bedding planes
are curved and cut across the associating contours,
it indicates beds are inclined.
•Inclined beds are being differentiated on the basis
of the amount of dip, dip direction and the strike
direction.
•Strike direction is expressed both with N or S, but
dip direction is expressed only either N or S. For
example, if N 10° E is dip direction, then strike
direction is N 80 ° W or S 80 ° E.
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FOLDS AND UNCONFORMITY
1. A case of folded beds 2.A case of unconformity
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GEOLOGICAL MAP SCALE
• Map scale refers to the relationship (or ratio)
between distance on a map and the
corresponding distance on the ground. For
example, on a 1:100000 scale map, 1cm on the
map equals 1km on the ground.
• Map scale is often confused or interpreted
incorrectly, perhaps because the smaller the
map scale, the larger the reference number and
vice versa. For example, a 1:100000 scale map is
considered a larger scale than a 1:250000 scale
map.
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GEOLOGICAL CROSS-SECTION
• A cross section should be consistent with all the
available data, although there are often several
viable interpretations of the same data.
• Most cross sections are drawn to true scale,
that is, where the horizontal scale is the same
as the vertical scale.
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GEOLOGICAL C/S
• Different step are as follows to study the maps
and draw the cross-section.
• Step 1
1. Determine the line along which to draw the section.
2. The line of section should be representative of the
study area, be perpendicular to the major structural
feature of the area (e.g. large scale folds or faults),
cross as many structural features as possible and
run through areas with the most data readings.
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GEOLOGICAL C/S
• Step 2
1. Draw axes of an appropriate scale with the
topographic values.
2. Better to draw a true scale section.
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GEOLOGICAL C/S
• Step 3
1. Transfer the topographic information from the map
to the section.
2. Project the height of each topographic contour,
where it crosses the line of section, on to the
section and draw in the topography.
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GEOLOGICAL C/S
• Step 4
1. Transfer the lithological boundaries, faults etc onto
the cross section in the same way.
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GEOLOGICAL C/S
• Step 5
1. Transfer bedding readings on to the section,
correcting for apparent dip if necessary (see figure).
2. Plot the readings at the height at which they occur,
so where a reading is extrapolated from a greater or
lesser height than the topography of the cross
section plot it above or below the topography as
appropriate.
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GEOLOGICAL C/S
• Step 6
1. Using the bedding readings as a guide, draw in the
lithological boundaries both above and below the
surface.
2. Geology extended above the topography is shown
by dashed lines. When drawing the section always
consider what is geologically reasonable behavior
for the layers e.g. sudden changes in a unit’s
thickness or dip should be justifiable.
• Step 7
1. Repeat procedure for another map.
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A GEOLOGICAL MAP
• Dotted Line – Contour Line
• Solid Line – Bedding Plane
• F-F Line – Fault Line
• X-Y Line – Representative Line
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Thank You
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