Geological Mapping

n.k. agarwal
 Innovation Means New Idea
The Mind Likes a Strange Idea as Little as the
Body likes a Strange Protein and Resist it With
Similar Energy.
It Would Not Perhaps Be Too Fanciful to Say
That a New Idea Is Most Quickly Acting Antigen
Known to Science. If We Watch Ourselves
Honestly We Shall Often Find That We Have
Begun to Argue Against New Idea Even Before
it Has Completely Started
- Wilfred Trotter
Geologic Time

Relative Dating: Putting geologic events into proper order (oldest to

youngest), but without absolute ages. We use a number of principles and laws to
do this:
Law of Original Horzontality - Sedimentary units and lava flows are deposited
horizontally.
Law of Superposition - the layer below is older than the layer above.
Principle of fossil succession - life forms succeed one another in a definite and
determinable order and therefor a time period can be determined by its fossils.
Law of Cross-cutting Relationships - A rock is younger than any rock across
which it cuts.
4 degree x 4 degree Sheets of Uttarakhand and Adjoining Areas
 53 - Million Sheet
(28o-32o ; 76o-80o)
1:1000000

53 J - Degree Sheet
(30o-31o ; 78o-79o)
1:250,000

53 J/7 - Toposheet Sheet

(30o 15´-30o 30´ : 78o 15´-78o 30´)
1:50,000
 Base Maps and Scales
4o x 4o Sheet
Scale 1: 1000000
(1cm = 10,000m)
or
1cm = 10km
Example Sheet No. 53

Each Million Sheet has 16 Degree Sheets (A,B,C……P)

Scale 1: 250,000
(1cm = 2500m)
or
1cm = 2.5km
Example Degree Sheet 53 J
Each Degree Sheet has 16 Toposheets (1,2,3….16)
Scale 1:50,000
(1 cm = 500m)
or
1 cm = 0.5km
Example Toposheet No. 53 J/3
India – Areal Spread
Latitudes 8o to 37o
and
Longitudes 68o to 97o
 Spread of Uttarakhand

Area : 53,483sq.km, Districts 13nos. 28o 43´- 31o 27´ : 77o 34´- 81o 02´
 Toposheet No. 53 J/7
1:50,000 scale
15’ X 15’

P1
Coordinates of Point P1
30o 28´ 40” : 78o 16´ 20”

30o 15´-30o 30´ : 78o 15´-78o 30´

1:25,000 Toposheet
 Geopetal Fabric
Top and Bottom Criteria

• Current Bedding
• Graded Bedding
• Oscillatory Ripple Marks
• Load cast
• Fossil Assemblage
• Grade of Metamorphism
• Cleavage Bedding Relationship
• Cross Cutting Relation

Order of Superposition
 Important Information to be Included

Depth of weathering
Landslide/landslide prone areas/
Avalanche routes
RBM/ Debris differentiation and demarcation
Geothermal Signatures
Mineralization, Mining activity
Agriculture/Arable land/ Forest Cover, Settlements.
Shrines, Heritage etc.
Springs
Geomorphic Escarpments/bluffs
Any unusual feature etc.
 Data Matrix

Activity Scale Resolution

1:50,000/ 1:25,000 Small Scale data

Data Acquisition
1:10,000 / 1:5,000/4,000 Large Scale data
1:2,000/1,000 to 1:100 Detailed data
Data Plotting Manual & Digital
Cartographic Manual & Digital Small Scale – Low
Representation Large Scale – High
Precision and Accuracy As Per Scale
 Basic Requirements
• Topographic or Contour Map
• Brunton Compass
• Geological Hammer
• Hunter Shoe
• Water Bottle
• Field Lens Special Requirements
• Streak Plate
• Magnet
• Grain Size Chart
Total Station
• Field Diary, Pencils, Pen, Rubber,
Prismatic Compass
Cello Tape etc. GPS System
• Haversack Pocket stereoscope
• Dilute HCl Areal Photographs
• Binocular
• Camera
• Video-Camera
 How to Proceed ?
Select a point of observation
Locate the Point on Map and suitably label the point
•Record the observations in field diary with date and reference no.
•Lithology (Rock/Overburden/ Soil, Attributes (Dip/Strike, Plunge etc.)
•Collect Samples for laboratory studies
•Structural Data – Fold, Fault, direction, throw, displacement, slicken sides,
Joint sets –attributes etc.
•Hydrological Conditions
•Signs of de-stressing
•Neotectonic signatures
•Landslides-type, size, active/old, cracks, water saturation conditions,
Landslide Micro-Zonnation Data Sheet
•Density of data point would depend upon scale on mapping/data
acquisition and purpose.

In case of geological mapping, trace the mutual formational/lithological

contact and/or the fault/thrust trace
GEOLOGICAL INPUTS

Geological
Component:
 Important Observations

Weathering Grades
Symbol Degree Weathering Extent Remarks
WO 0% Fresh No sign of weathering
W1 <25% Slightly Discoloration along discontinuities
w2 25-50% Moderately <50% rock is decomposed and
disintegrated to soil, Fresh or discolored
rock present
W3 50-75% Highly >50% rock is decomposed and
disintegrated to soil, Fresh or discolored
rock present

W4 >75% Completely Majority of rock material decomposed,

original structure intact.
W5 100% Residual Soil No trace of rock
Actual Ground Conditions
Soil with fragments of rocks 830

Scale

N
820

535
535

500
500
810

LEGEND
525

= Quartz Mica Schist

+ ~ Quartz Biotite Gneiss
800
400

410

420

430
 Geological Map -2
830

Scale

N 820

535

500

810
525

LEGEND
Overburden

800
400

410

420

430
 Geological Map -2
830

Scale

N 820

535

500

810
525

LEGEND

= Quartz Mica Schist

+ ~ Quartz Biotite Gneiss
Lineaments
800
400

410

420

430
nk. agarwal
ex-director, gsi