Explore a comprehensive collection of Mining Geology Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for a thorough understanding of geological concepts in the mining industry. Test your knowledge and enhance your expertise with this curated set of questions, designed to cover key topics in mining geology. Perfect resource for students, professionals, and enthusiasts looking to sharpen their skills […]
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Branches of geology focused on natural resources Most geology careers involve the extraction of natural resources from the surface. This is where geologists relate rock types and landforms in a specific environment. For example, petrology uses mineralogy and rock types to understand geological formaRead more
Branches of geology focused on natural resources
Most geology careers involve the extraction of natural resources from the surface. This is where geologists relate rock types and landforms in a specific environment.
For example, petrology uses mineralogy and rock types to understand geological formations from drilling. In addition, they study the chemical properties and how atoms are arranged.
Soils are also considered a natural resource for agriculture production. Agronomy, edaphology and pomology are specific to soil science and how food grows or is cultivated.
PETROLOGY – How types of rocks (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology) form in their specific environment.
MINERALOGY – How chemical and crystalline structures in minerals are composed.
GEMOLOGY – How natural and artificial gems are identified and evaluated.
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY – How atoms are arranged and bonded in crystalline solids.
SOIL SCIENCES – How soils relate as a natural resource including their formation factors, classification, physical, chemical and fertility properties.
PEDOLOGY – How soils are classified based on their biological, physical and chemical properties.
EDAPHOLOGY – How soils influence plant growth and living things.
AGRONOMY/AGROLOGY – How the field of agriculture involves science such as crop production, biotechnology and soil science.
HYDROGEOLOGY – How groundwater is transported and is distributed in the soil, rock and Earth’s crust.
POMOLOGY – How fruits grow and are cultivated.
Sedimentology understands weathering, transportation and deposition
Sedimentology looks at the processes of how sediments deposit. For example, sedimentology is concerned with erosion, weathering, transportation, and deposition of sediments.
One of the processes that understands the erosion, movement and deposition of sediments is from glaciers. Specifically, glaciology studies glaciers and how they shape the landforms.
Likewise, surficial geology examines sediments overlying bedrock such as during a glacial retreat. Finally, beneath the regolith is the intact, solid rock that bedrock geology is concerned with.
SEDIMENTOLOGY – How sand, silt and clay are deposited and the processes that act on it.
SURFICIAL GEOLOGY – How surface sediment (till, gravel, sand, clay, etc) overlying bedrock was formed such as during glacial retreat or in lakes associated in these periods.
GLACIOLOGY – How ice and glacial deposits have reconstructed landforms as well as how existing (polar) glaciers behave and are distributed.
GEOPHYSICS – How physical processes and properties relate to Earth and its surrounding space.
BEDROCK GEOLOGY – How the intact, solid rock beneath surficial sediments formed including age (stratigraphic sequences), morphology and rock properties (folds, faults, fractures).
LITHOLOGY – How rocks are classified based on their physical and chemical properties.
Topography studies land forms and their processes
Topography also plays an important in geology. Of all the branches of geology, topography examines the physical features that are distributed on the landscape.
For example, orography focuses on topographic relief and how mountains are distributed. Without plate tectonics which is a focal point in geology, mountain building would have not taken place.
Finally, hypsometry measures the height and depth of physical features from the mean sea level. Geologists use hypsometry to understand the profile of Earth and landscape evolution.
OROGRAPHY – How topographic relief in mountains are distributed in nature.
See lessTOPOGRAPHY – How physical features (natural and artificial) are arranged on the landscape.
HYPSOMETRY – How height and depth of physical features are measured land from mean sea level.