Introduction - Geological Field Techniques - page 2

Field geology presents four main intellectual challenges. These
are:

1. Deciding what data to collect in order to address the
scientifi c question(s).

2. Finding the most suitable exposures from which to collect
the data.

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3. Making a good record of the data collected; preferably a
record that can be understood by others and can be used
years after the data were collected.

4. Understanding and interpreting the basic observations that
you make.

This topic deals with challenges 1, 2 and 3. Challenge 4,
interpreting the observations, is to a large extent a matter of
experience and having a good theoretical understanding of
geology and geological processes. There are many general
geological and Earth science textbooks on the market, a
selection of which are included in the further reading lists at
the end of each chapter. Deciding what data to collect relates
directly to the objective of the fi eldwork (Chapter 3). Some
typical overall objectives are: constructing the geological
history of a region (Chapter 10), collecting data on a period of
climate change (Chapter 6), gathering evidence for a mass
extinction event (Chapter 5), understanding a phase of igneous
activity (Chapter 7) or mountain building (Chapters 8 and 9),
together with fi nding and evaluating mineral or water resources
and understanding natural hazards (e.g. landslides, earthquakes
and fl oods; Chapters 6 and 8). Within each of these major
objectives the fi eldwork should be broken down into achievable
daily tasks. Locating the most suitable exposures is crucial if
the objective of the fi eldwork is anything other than detailed
mapping where ideally all exposures need to be examined. The
different types of exposure are dealt with in Chapters 3 and 10,
and more specifi c examples are given in Chapters 5-9.
Throughout the topic, but particularly in Chapter 4, we have
provided ideas and examples for constructing effective fi eld
notebooks. We have also added practical tips in the margin,
and fl owcharts for deductive thinking processes and tasks. In
Chapters 5-10 we have used worked examples to demonstrate
both the method of reasoning and the way in which particular
problems have been tackled.

1.1 A selection of general topics and
reference material on geology

Allerby, M. 2008. A Dictionary of Earth Sciences , Oxford University
Press, 672 pp.