Course overview
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to independent geological mapping and the construction of geological maps. You will develop the skills required to interpret and solve geological relationships at a variety of scales and synthesise them into four-dimensional models that describe the geological evolution of terrains. These skills include hand specimen and outcrop geology, mapping and stratigraphic analysis at a range of scales, aerial photo interpretation, remote sensing and the integration of geophysical datasets into geological mapping and interpretation. Thus, the course will draw upon the principals of structural geology and combine them with an understanding of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rock systems. Fieldwork will focus on the Precambrian terrains of southern and/or central Australia; however, the acquired skills will be transferable into any aged geological system. This course will include a field trip with 10 days of field mapping. Details will be provided at the start of the course.
Course learning outcomes
- Recognise minerals and lithologies in the field (and document them)
- Synthesise their own observations within the context of published research to understand their fieldwork regions in a broader geological context;
- Measure and properly record structural orientation information
- Interpret geological field observations within the context of the geological evolution ofthe mapping region
- Construct geological maps and cross-sections