Republic of the Philippines

NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.:IM-ENGGEO-2NDSEM-2020-2021

College of Engineering
Bayombong Campus

DEGREE PROGRAM BSCE COURSE NO. N100/N177/N198/N217

SPECIALIZATION CEM/SE/TE/WRE COURSE TITLE Geology for Civil Engineers
YEAR LEVEL 2nd TIME FRAME WK NO. 1 IM NO. 1

I. UNIT TITLE/CHAPTER TITLE

Geology

II. LESSON TITLE

Introduction to Geology and Concepts

III. LESSON OVERVIEW

1. General Geology
a. Geology in Civil Engineering
b. Branches of Geology
c. Earth Structure and Composition
d. Plate Tectonics

IV. DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Introduce the subject and its application to Civil Engineering.

V. LESSON CONTENT

Introduction

Geology

Geology is the study of the Earth, the materials of which it is made, the structure of those materials, and
the processes acting upon them. It includes the study of organisms that have inhabited our planet. An
important part of geology is the study of how Earth's materials, structures, processes and organisms have
changed over time.

Geologists work to understand the history of our planet. The better they can understand Earth’s history,
the better they can foresee how events and processes of the past might influence the future.

Geologists study Earth processes, Many processes such as landslides, earthquakes, floods,
and volcanic eruptions can be hazardous to people. Geologists work to understand these processes well
enough to avoid building important structures where they might be damaged. If geologists can prepare
maps of areas that have flooded in the past, they can prepare maps of areas that might be flooded in the
future. These maps can be used to guide the development of communities and determine where flood
protection or flood insurance is needed.

Geologists study Earth materials, People use Earth materials every day. They use oil that is produced
from wells, metals that are produced from mines, and water that has been drawn from streams or from
underground. Geologists conduct studies that locate rocks that contain important metals, plan the mines
that produce them and the methods used to remove the metals from the rocks. They do similar work to
locate and produce oil, natural gas, and groundwater.

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 Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.:IM-ENGGEO-2NDSEM-2020-2021

Geologists study Earth history, today we are concerned about climate change. Many geologists are
working to learn about the past climates of Earth and how they have changed across time. This historical
geology news information is valuable to understand how our current climate is changing and what the
results might be.

Branches of Geology

1. Physical Geology – a branch of geology it deals with the “various processes of physical agents such
as wind, water, glaciers and sea waves”, run on these agents go on modifying the surface of the earth
continuously.
2. Mineralogy – it deals with the study of minerals. Minerals are basic units with different rocks and ores
of the earth made up of.
3. Petrology – it deals with the study of rocks. It deals with the mode of formation, structure, texture,
composition, occurrence, and types of rocks. It is the most important branch of geology from the Civil
Engineering point of view.
4. Structural Geology (Tectonics) - The details of mode of formation, causes, types, classification,
importance etc. of these geological structures from the subject matter of structural geology. The rocks,
which from the earth’s crust, undergo various deformations, dislocations and disturbances under the
influence of tectonic forces. The result is the occurrence of different geological structures like folds,
fault, joints and unconformities in rocks.
5. Stratigraphy – It is the study of rock layers (strata) and layering (Stratification). It is primarily used in
the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks. It is also the study of Earth’s History through the
sedimentary rock.
6. Paleontology – It is the study of Ancient life, the study of fossils to determine organisms’ evolution
and interactions with each other and their environments of their paleoecology.
7. Crystallography – It is the experimental science of determining the arrangement of atoms in the
crystalline solids.
8. Mining Geology – it is an applied science which combines the principles of economic geology and
mining engineering to the development of a defined mineral resource. It also deals with to know the
other physical parameters of ores, details of mineral exploration, estimation.
9. Geotechnics – it is the application of scientific methods and engineering principles in the acquisition,
interpretation, and use of knowledge of materials of the Earth’s crust and materials for the solution of
engineering problems and the design of engineering works.
10. Hydrology/Geohydrology – Study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water in the earth,
including the hydrologic cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. It also
deals with the occurrence, movement and nature of groundwater in an area.
11. Geophysics – It is the study of the physical properties like density and magnetism of the earth or its
parts.
12. Geochemistry – it deals with the occurrence, distribution, abundance, mobility, etc. of different
elements in the earth crust.
13. Economic Geology - It is concerned with earth materials that can be used for economic and/or
industrial purposes. These materials include precious and base metals, non-metallic minerals,
construction-grade stone, petroleum, natural gas, coal, and water.

Engineering Geology

This deals with the application of geological knowledge in the field of civil engineering, for
execution of safe, stable, and economics constructions like dams, bridges, and tunnels.

Importance of Geology for Civil Engineering

1. Geology provides a systematic knowledge of construction materials, their structure and properties.
2. The knowledge of Erosion, Transportation and Deposition (ETD) by surface water helps in soil
conservation, river control, coastal and harbor works.
3. The knowledge about the nature of the rocks is very necessary in tunneling, constructing roads and
in determining the stability of cuts and slopes. This, geology helps in civil engineering.
4. The foundation problems of dams, bridges, and buildings are directly related with geology of the area
where they are to be built.

“In accordance with Section 185, Fair Use of Copyrighted Work of Republic Act 8293, the copyrighted works included in this material may be reproduced for educational purposes
only and not for commercial distribution,”
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 Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.:IM-ENGGEO-2NDSEM-2020-2021

5. The knowledge of ground water is necessary in connection with excavation works, water supply,
irrigation and many other purposes.
6. Geological maps and sections help considerably in planning many engineering projects.
7. If the geological features like faults, joints, beds, folds, solution channels are found, they have to be
suitably treated. Hence, the stability of the structure is greatly increased.
8. Pre-geological survey of the area concerned reduces the cost of engineering work.

Structure of the Earth

1. Crust – the outermost solid layer of the Earth, it ranges from 5-70 km in depth. It consists of two parts,
The Oceanic Crust and the Continental Crust.
a. Oceanic Crust – thin part of the crust, lies on the ocean basins. Usually consist of dense
basalt.
b. Continental Crust – thicker part of the crust, it consists of less dense granite.
2. Mantle – the second part of the layers of the earth, it is about 2,900 km thick. Makes up the 84% of
Earth’s Total Volume. It consists of silicon, iron, magnesium, aluminum, oxygen and other minerals.
Temperature ranges from 1000C, near the crust to 3700C, near the boundary with the core.
3. Core – innermost part of the Earth. It consists of
2 parts, The outer core and inner core. It has an
approximate radius of 3,400km. The core
consists of molten iron, nickel, gold, platinum,
uranium, etc.
a. Outer Core – is about 2,200km thick, with
a temperature ranging from 4,500C to
5,500C.
b. Inner core – has a radius about 1,220 km.
The temperature is about 5,500C and the
pressure is 3.6 million atmosphere(atm).

Plate Tectonics and Continental Drift

Although we think of the land on Earth as being fixed and stable, it turns out that it is constant moving.
This movement is way too slow for us to notice, however, because it only moves between 1-6 inches
per year. It takes millions of years for the land to move a significant amount.

Most of the Earth is covered by seven major plates and another eight or so minor plates.

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 Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.:IM-ENGGEO-2NDSEM-2020-2021

Major Plates: Minor Plates:

1. African 1. Somali 8. Indian
2. Antarctic 2. Nazca 9. Caribbean
3. Eurasian 3. Amurian (East Asia) 10. Cocos
4. North American 4. Sunda (South East Asia) 11. Caroline
5. South American 5. Philippine 12. Scotia
6. Indo – Australian (Australian) 6. Okhotsk 13. Juan de Fuca (Smallest)
7. Pacific (Largest) 7. Arabian 14. Burma
8. Yangtze 15. New Hebrides

Plate Boundaries
The movement of tectonic plates is most evident at the
boundaries between the plates. There are three main
types of boundaries:
1. Convergent Boundaries - A convergent boundary is
where two tectonic plates push together. Sometimes
one plate will move under the other. This is called
subduction. Although the movement is slow,
convergent boundaries can be areas of geological
activity such as the forming of mountains and
volcanoes. They can also be areas of high
earthquake activity.

2. Divergent Boundaries - A divergent boundary is one

where two plates are getting pushed apart. The area
on land where the boundary occurs is called a rift.
New land is formed by magma pushing up from the
mantle and cooling as it reaches the surface.

3. Transform Boundaries - A transform boundary is one

where two plates slide past each other. These places
are often called faults and can be areas where
earthquakes often occur.

• One famous transform boundary is the San

Andreas Fault in California. It is the boundary between the North American Plate and the Pacific
Plate. It is the cause of so many earthquakes in California.
• The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the ocean. It is formed by a convergent boundary
between the Pacific Plate and the Mariana Plate. The Pacific Plate is being subducted under the
Mariana Plate.
• Scientists are now able to track the movement of tectonic plates using GPS.
• The Himalayan Mountains, including Mount Everest, were formed by the convergent boundary
of the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

Earthquakes
An earthquake is what happens when two blocks
of the earth suddenly slip past one another. The
surface where they slip is called the fault or fault
plane. The location below the earth’s surface
where the earthquake starts is called
the hypocenter, and the location directly above it
on the surface of the earth is called
the epicenter.
Sometimes an earthquake has foreshocks.
These are smaller earthquakes that happen in the
same place as the larger earthquake that follows.
Scientists can’t tell that an earthquake is a
foreshock until the larger earthquake happens.
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NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.:IM-ENGGEO-2NDSEM-2020-2021

The largest, main earthquake is called the mainshock. Mainshocks always have aftershocks that
follow. These are smaller earthquakes that occur afterwards in the same place as the mainshock.
Depending on the size of the mainshock, aftershocks can continue for weeks, months, and even years
after the mainshock.

Earthquakes are recorded by instruments called seismographs. The recording they make is called
a seismogram. The seismograph has a base that sets firmly in the ground, and a heavy weight that
hangs free. When an earthquake causes the ground to shake, the base of the seismograph shakes too,
but the hanging weight does not. Instead the spring or string that it is hanging from absorbs all the
movement. The difference in position between the shaking part of the seismograph and the motionless
part is what is recorded.

Magnitude and Intensity measure different characteristics of earthquakes. Magnitude measures the
energy released at the source of the earthquake. Magnitude is determined from measurements on
seismographs. Intensity measures the strength of shaking produced by the earthquake at a certain
location. Intensity is determined from effects on people, human structures, and the natural environment.

The table below shows approximately how many earthquakes occur each year in each magnitude
range and what the intensity might be at the epicenter for each magnitude range.

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only and not for commercial distribution,”
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 Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.:IM-ENGGEO-2NDSEM-2020-2021

Causes of earthquake
The earthquake may be caused due to various reasons, depending upon its intensity. Following causes
of earthquake are important:
1. Earthquakes due to superficial movements – The feeble earthquakes are caused due to superficial
movements. i.e. Dynamic agencies, and operation upon the surface of the earth.
2. Earthquakes due to volcanic eruptions
3. Earthquake due to folding or faulting.

Engineering Considerations

The time and intensity of the earthquake can never be predicted. The only remedy that can be done at
the best, it is provide additional factors in the design of structure to minimize the losses due to shocks of
an earthquake. This can be done in the following way:

• To collect sufficient data, regarding the previous seismic activity in the area.
• To assess the losses, which are likely to take place in furniture due to earthquake shocks,
• To provide factors of safety, to stop or minimize the loss due to sever earth shocks.

VI. LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Answer the following questions:

1. Why do you think that Petrology is the most important branch of geology in Civil Engineering?
2. Why do we need to study Geology?
3. Explain the importance of Geology in Civil Engineering in your own words.

VII. ASSIGNMENT

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the difference between “earthquake proof” and “earthquake resilient”?

2. Connection to the First question, do we say “earthquake-proof buildings” or “earthquake-resilient
buildings”, explain your answer.
3. As a future Civil Engineer, how can you make sure your building can deal minimum damage to
earthquakes?

VIII. REFERENCES

1. Parbin Singh, “Engineering and General Geology”

2. P.C. Varghese, “Engineering Geology for Civil Engineers”
3. Legget, “Geology and Engineering”

“In accordance with Section 185, Fair Use of Copyrighted Work of Republic Act 8293, the copyrighted works included in this material may be reproduced for educational purposes
only and not for commercial distribution,”
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