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Teaching Structural Geology in Indian Context

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Teaching Methodologies in Structural Geology and Tectonics

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Abstract

While updates on the Indian structural geological and tectonic research have been available from time to time (e.g., Bhattacharya et al. in Proc Indian Nat Sci Acad 82:435–443, 2017), teaching strategy and critique on these subjects from India has not come up yet. This chapter emphasizes the urgent need for quantitative structural geology and tectonics teaching in India. In this chapter, I share few personal approaches in teaching structural geology to M.Sc. applied geology students in the Department of Earth Sciences, IIT Bombay: (i) students’ evaluation through their peers, (ii) group discussions, (iii) field training, and (iv) going beyond the syllabus. Several papers in the Journal of Geoscience Education discuss mode and motto of tectonic and structural teaching, geological visualization, and field approaches (e.g., Badgley in Structural methods for the exploration geologist. Harper & Row, New York, p. 280, 1959; Libarkin and Brick in J Geosci Educ 50:449–455, 2002; Elkins and Elkins in J Geosci Educ 55:126–132, 2007; Orion et al. in J Geosci Educ 45:129–132, 2018).

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Acknowledgements

Springer proofreading team is thanked for their assistance. Ph.D. student Dripta Dutta made an internal review. Mukherjee (2018d) summarizes this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400 076, Maharashtra, India

    Soumyajit Mukherjee

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  1. Soumyajit Mukherjee
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Correspondence to Soumyajit Mukherjee .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, IIT Bombay, Mumbai, India

    Soumyajit Mukherjee

Appendix

Appendix

1.1 Syllabus of Structural Geology at the Department of Earth Sciences, IIT Roorkee (Internet Reference-2)

1.1.1 ES 203

  • Geological significance and recognition of unconformities

  • Morphology of folds

  • Geometric classifications of folds

  • Genetic classifications of folds

  • Mechanism and causes of folding

  • Strain distribution in different types of folds

  • Outcrop patterns of different types of folds

  • Geometric and genetic classification of faults, effects of faulting on outcrops, large-scale faults, and their tectonic significance

  • Geometric and genetic classification of joints

  • Foliation, their descriptive terminology, origin, and relation to major structures

  • Different types of lineations, their origin, and their relation to major structures

  • Different types of shear zones and their development.

1.1.2 Practical

  • Contour, stratum contour, dip, and strike problems

  • Plunge and pitch of lineations

  • Completion of outcrop pattern

  • Geological maps—cross section through different types of structures and geological history

  • Dip isogon studies and classification of folds

  • Geological structures in hand specimen.

1.1.3 ES 204: Field Training-1

  • Study of toposheets and geological maps

  • Determination of location on maps

  • Measurements of dip and strike of planar surfaces

  • Measurement of lineation

  • Measurement of stratigraphic columns

  • Geological mapping

  • Plotting and analysis of field data.

1.1.4 ES 304

  • Stress in homogeneous and inhomogeneous media and analytical techniques

  • Geometry and analysis of fractures, joints, and faults

  • Homogeneous strain and techniques of strain analysis including Fry method, grain center method, and Rf/Φ method

  • Geometry of folds and their classification schemes

  • Mechanism of folding and internal strain accommodation

  • Shear zones and techniques of their analysis

  • Example analysis of foliation and lineation in rocks: geometry, mechanics, and significance

  • Techniques of structural analysis in areas of superposed folding

  • Different types of deformation mechanism.

1.1.5 Practical

  • Techniques of strain analysis: determination of finite strain of deformed objects using long- to short-axis, center-to-center, Fry, and Rf/Φ methods

  • Determination of finite strain from deformed fossils

  • Dip isogon method of fold analysis

  • Determination of strain in ductile shear zones and analysis of brittle fault zones

  • Structural analysis of folded terrains.

1.2 Syllabus of Structural Geology at the Department of Earth Sciences, IIT Bombay (Internet Reference-3)

1.2.1 GS 407

  • Dynamic and kinematic analyses of rocks in two dimensions

  • Stress and strain. folds—classification, mechanism of folding

  • Biot’s law—strain within buckled layer, similar fold and shear fold, kink bands, chevron folds, and conjugate fold

  • Cleavage, lineation, boudinage; deformation of linear structures by flexural slip folding and shear folding

  • Deformation of planar structures by flexural slip folding and shear folding; superimposed folding

  • Type 1, 2, and 3 interference pattern

  • Faults and ductile shear zone.

1.2.2 GS 413 Structural Geology Laboratory

  • Stereographic plotting and contouring of planes and lines

  • Analysis of folds, faults, and ductile shear zone

  • Strain measurements from deformed fossils and other markers

  • Interpretation of geological maps

  • Computer aids to analysis of structural data.

1.2.3 GS 450 Geological Fieldwork

  • Fieldwork in Metamorphic Terrai

  • Toposheet reading, use of GPS

  • Recconnaitory traverse

  • Structural mapping (1:1000) scale

  • Oriented sampling

  • Shear zone studies

  • Visit to mines

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Mukherjee, S. (2019). Teaching Structural Geology in Indian Context. In: Mukherjee, S. (eds) Teaching Methodologies in Structural Geology and Tectonics. Springer Geology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2781-0_8

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