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Introduction to the Brunton Compass

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Parts of the Compass
• Compass Face
- Arrow (white tip North)
- Directional Degrees (Quadrant or Azimuth)

• Clinometer: Scales in Degrees and % Grade

• Levels
- Bullseye Level
- Cylindrical Level

• Mirror

• Sighting Arm

• Magnetic Declination (~6.5° E of N)

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Parts of the Brunton Compass

Mirror

Lift Pin for


Needle

Compass Needle
Card
Bull’s Eye
Level
Sighting Arm
Clinometer
Level
Image from: http://courses.geo.ucalgary.ca/glgy203/images/sd.htm

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Parts of the Compass Face

Image from: http://courses.geo.ucalgary.ca/glgy203/images/sd.htm

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Compass Mastery

• Locate North, Set local declination

• Measure Bearings

• Measure Strike and Dip of planes

• Measure Trend and Plunge of lines

• Measure Vertical Angles


o measuring height / thickness of a feature

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Recording a Bearing
Bearing: direction from one point to another
NO
Recording notation: 360

• Azimuth: “247°”
NW NE
W 270O 90OE
O
O 67 SE
247

O.
180
S

• Quadrant:“S 67°W”

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Measuring Strike
Strike: Direction of the line of intersection between a
tilted plane and a horizontal plane
Aerial View: Strike of Dipping
Strata

Strike

Strike

(E.F. McBride)

Image from: http://courses.geo.ucalgary.ca/glgy203/images/sd.htm

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Measuring Strike

Measuring a field book that defines the tilted plane of interest

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Measuring Strike
Strike: Direction of the line of intersection between a
tilted plane and a horizontal plane
Strike

Images from: http://courses.geo.ucalgary.ca/glgy203/images/sd.htm

• Compass must be horizontal (bull’s eye bubble


centered), with compass edge flush to the tilted plane
M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin
Recording Strike
In the picture at left, is the strike 157o or 337o?
Right-hand Rule:
• Record the bearing in the
direction that places the
dip direction of the plane to
the right (clockwise from)
strike.
Answer: 337o Strike

Strike

Images from: http://courses.geo.ucalgary.ca/glgy203/images/sd.htm

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Measuring Dip
Dip: The maximum slope of a plane, measured from
horizontal. The dip direction is always perpendicular to strike.

The dip direction is:


W E
• The “fall line” in Horizontal
skiing
Dip Angle
• The direction water
runs down a
sloping surface
• The direction a
pebble rolls down a
sloping surface
(E.F. McBride)

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Measuring Dip

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Measuring Dip
Images from:
http://courses.geo.ucalgary.ca/glgy203/images/sd.htm

• Place compass on its


side, perpendicular to
strike

• Level the clinometer


(center the bubble)

• Read the dip, i.e. 36o


M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin
Recording Strike & Dip
Shorthand Notation:
337/36o
or
337/36o NE

• “NE” records the dip


direction, but is redundant
if the right-hand rule is
followed

Images from:
http://courses.geo.ucalgary.ca/glgy203/images/sd.htm

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Measuring the Trend of a Linear Feature
Trend: The orientation of a line, in the direction that
it is inclined.

1. Point the Sighting Arm


of compass parallel to
the direction the
feature plunges
2. Hold compass level
3. Read the white end of
the compass needle
Glacial Striations (Maine) M. J. Cooke

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Measuring the Plunge of a Linear Feature

1. Place the side of


the compass
parallel the
feature Horizontal
2. Measure the Plunge
angle of the line
from horizontal
with the
clinometer, as
done for dip Glacial Striations (Maine) M. J. Cooke

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Recording Trend and Plunge of a Line

Shorthand Notation:
“25o/150”
Horizontal
Reads: Plunge = 25o

“plunges 25 Trend = 150o


degrees toward a
bearing of 150o”
M. J. Cooke

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Map Symbols
(map view)

strike and dip

strike and dip (vertical)

strike and dip (horizontal)

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Bring to Lab

• Course Packet

• Brunton Compass

• Field Notebook

• Ruler (metric)

• Protractor

• Calculator (tangent)

• Clipboard

M. Helper, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin


Why Would Geologists and Surveyors
Use Clinometers?
In their fieldwork, Geologists use
clinometers to determine the height of
an object (eg: a tree or a mountain) by
using the formula:
Height = H + D tanA
where:
H = height of the clinometer to the
ground
D = distance of the clinometer to the
object
A = angle taken from clinometer
reading

Picture from:
http://www.ukge.co.uk/UK/product.asp?numRecordPosition=1&P_ID
=256&strPageHistory=&strKeywords=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=133
• Person 1 stands on the top of the hill with the metre stick in front
of them, perpendicular to the ground.
• Person 2 and 3 stand at the bottom of the hill.
• Person 2 holds the metre stick perpendicular to the ground while
person 3 uses the clinometer to sight from the tip of their metre
stick to the tip of the other.
***Ensure your line of sight is parallel to the ground.
• Record the angle of inclination from the clinometer
• Measure the distance along the ground from the bottom of the
hill to the top of the hill.
Line of
sight

90 line on 
protractor
weight

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