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Mining Geology Notes

General Geology:- Scope of geology, Origin of Earth, Age of Earth, Interior of Earth, Continental drift, Isostacy, Erosion & weathering, River & wind erosion, Earth quake, Volcano, Strike & Dip, Folds, Faults, Unconformity, Joints and cleavages, Outlier and Inlier, Process of formation of landforms

Scope of geology  
Geology is the science of the Earth, its structure, composition, history, processes, and resources. It is a broad and interdisciplinary field that covers many aspects of the natural world and human activities. Geology can be divided into various branches, such as mineralogy, petrology, sedimentology, stratigraphy, paleontology, tectonics, geomorphology, hydrogeology, oceanography, astrogeology, etc. Each branch focuses on a specific aspect of geology and uses different methods and tools to study it.
The scope of geology is very wide and diverse. Geology has many applications in various fields such as civil engineering, environmental science, natural resource management, natural hazard mitigation, climate change, archaeology, etc. Geologists can work in different settings such as government agencies, private companies, non-profit organizations, universities, research institutes, etc. Geologists can also pursue higher studies and research in geology or related fields.
General geology is a foundational branch of geology that provides a broad understanding of the Earth's structure, processes, and history. It encompasses various concepts, principles, and necessary formulas to study the Earth's composition, geological materials, landforms, and geological time scale. The scope of general geology is comprehensive, covering fundamental topics from both B.Sc. and M.Sc. geology syllabi. Let's explore some of the key concepts and formulas related to general geology:

1. Earth's Structure:
   - Internal Structure: Study of Earth's internal layers, including the core, mantle, and crust.
   - Plate Tectonics: Understanding the movement of lithospheric plates and associated geological phenomena.

2. Minerals and Rocks:
   - Mineralogy: Classification, identification, and properties of minerals.
   - Petrology: Study of rocks, their formation, classification, and composition.
   - Igneous Rocks: Formation, types (e.g., basalt, granite), and associated processes (e.g., volcanism).
   - Sedimentary Rocks: Formation, types (e.g., sandstone, limestone), and sedimentary processes (e.g., weathering, erosion, deposition).
   - Metamorphic Rocks: Formation, types (e.g., slate, marble), and metamorphic processes (e.g., heat, pressure).

3. Structural Geology:
   - Folds: Types (e.g., anticlines, synclines), fold geometry, and associated structures.
   - Faults: Types (e.g., normal, reverse), fault geometry, and their effects.
   - Jointing: Study of fractures in rocks and their patterns.

4. Geomorphology:
   - Landforms: Study of various landforms (e.g., mountains, valleys, plains) and their formation processes (e.g., erosion, deposition).
   - Weathering and Erosion: Processes that shape the Earth's surface through chemical and physical breakdown of rocks.

5. Geologic Time:
   - Stratigraphy: Principles of relative dating, understanding rock layers, and interpreting the geologic history.
   - Radiometric Dating: Absolute dating techniques based on radioactive decay of isotopes (e.g., Carbon-14 dating, Potassium-Argon dating).

6. Geological Maps and Cross-sections:
   - Interpretation of geological maps: Understanding symbols, formations, and structures.
   - Constructing and interpreting cross-sections: Depicting subsurface geological structures using surface data