TOPIC : FAULT BEDDING ( LAB 2b )

1.0 OBJECTIVES

The end of this practical apprentice will able to :

i. To plot ground profile and rock formations from geological map faulted bedding.

2.0 LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of the course, students should be able to apply the knowledge and skills they
have learned to:

i. Students should able to plot subsurface profile.

ii. Students should able to understand the geological structure in subsurface profile.
iii. Students should able to understand a history of the geological area

3.0 THEORY

A geological map is one, which shows in the first place, the occurrence and
distribution of the rocks at the surface of the ground. Conventional sign may show certain
facts of observation about them. The geological map allows the geological structure of the
country to be inferred.

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 Beds of rocks are bounded by bedding surfaces, which may be horizontal, tilted or
bent in any form or direction. A series of beds which have been laid down regularly one on
the other, and which may be treated as a whole, form a conformable series. It follows that
the lower beds are the older. In such a series of bedding surfaces are parallel. Each bedding
surface is usually common to two beds of rock, being the top of one and the bottom of the
one next above. In the simplest case, these surfaces are planes: bedding planes.

Beside that, Faults are fractures in the earths crust along which slippage or
displacement has occurred. As a result, formerly continuous beds have been dislocated in a
direction parallel to faults surface. The displacement may vary from a few inches or less,
to many miles. When subjected to great pressure, the earths crust may have to withstand
shear force in addition to direct compression. If the shear forces so induced become
excessive, failure will result, movement will take place along the plane of failure until the
unbalanced forces are equalized and a fault will be the result.

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4.0 EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS

a) Geological Map (refer to Map B )

b) Graph paper/drawing paper - A4 size

c) Ruler
d) Pencils
e) Colour pencils (optional)

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5.0 PROCEDURES

Students should learn to familiarize and observe the samples according by doing few
physical tests and tabulate the results from the observation in the Table 1.1 attached for:

i. Plot the cross-section with the horizontal and vertical scales accordingly to the scale
of the geological map on a piece of graph paper or blank sheet. Refer Figure 1.1.
The vertical scale is normally exaggerated to improve visibility of the profile.

ii. Draw a line to join the line of cross-section on the map, says A - B.

iii. Using a blank piece of paper, mark the points of intersection accordingly between
the lines with the contours respective to its heights.

iv. Transfer the points to the cross-section profile respective to the heights of the
contours.

v. Join the points to form the profile of the ground elevation.

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6.0 RESULT AND ANALYSIS

By referring to Map B,

i. Determine the dip and strike of the coal seams.

ii. Determine the thickness of sandstone outcrop.
iii. Determine the dip and strike of the fault.
iv. Plot the rock outcrop and fault on the cross-section profile.

Rock
Dip angle Diagram Dip direction
Boundary
AB 300

100
tan = 240
AB 100 190
= 25

240 AB 200

BC 400

100
tan = 250
BLC 100 190
= 24
250 BC 300

CSBl 600

100
tan = 50
CSBL 100 190
= 63
50 CSBl 500

BLC 700

100
tan = 240
BLC 100 190
= 25
240 BLC 600

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7.0 QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION

1. Explain types of fault with the aid of diagram.

The three common types of faults are normal faults, reversed fault and
strike-slip fault. In a normal fault the hanging wall is displaced downward relative
to the footwall. In the reversed faults the hanging wall is displaced upwards relative
to footwall. If the faults dip at angles less than 45 degree the term high thrust fault is
applied. Strike slip faults are the high angle fractures in which displacement is
horizontal, parallel to the strike of the fault plane. There is little or no vertical
movement.

Normal faults rarely are isolated fractures. Typically, a group of parallel

normal faults develops a step like arrangement, or a series of fault blocks. A narrow
block dropped down between two normal faults is called graben, and an upraised
block is called a horst.

Strike-slip faults have a different type of movement than normal and reverse
faults. You probably noticed that the blocks that move on either side of a reverse or
normal fault slide up or down along a dipping fault surface.

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2. Discuss how the fault structure was occurred based on the map B.

The fault structure occurred bas on map B is a fault which has a component of
dip-slip and a component of strike-slip is termed an oblique-slip fault. Nearly all
faults will have some component of both dip-slip and strike-slip, so defining a fault
as oblique requires both dip and strike components to be measurable and significant.
Some oblique faults occur within transtensional and transpressional regimes, others
occur where the direction of extension or shortening changes during the deformation
but the earlier formed faults remain active.

The hade angle is defined as the complement of the dip angle; it is the angle
between the fault plane and a vertical plane that strikes parallel to the fault.

3. If there is proposal for built dam structure on the fault area, evaluate the
engineering problem that possible to be occurred.

The most engineering problem that possible to be occurred in a severe

condition for a dam is when it is subjected to both ground shaking and movement of
faults and other discontinuities in the footprint of the dam during strong earthquakes.

Fault slips or block movements under the dam during strong earthquakes are
considered to be the most dangerous manifestations for the structural integrity of
dams. Creep movements, rather slow and uniform, can be monitored and may be
amenable to mitigating measures. If a fault crossing the dam site is evaluated as
potentially active, the next question is what size of fault movements is to be
expected, as the size expresses its damage potential. Correlation of the length of
faults with earthquake magnitude and displacement along the fault, supplies such
information. The coefficients for the linear least square regressions are derived from
best fit procedures.

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 Several authors have performed such analyses and rather significant
correlations were derived. A comprehensive elaboration is given by Wells and
Coppersmith (1994), based on analyzing world-wide data including hundreds of
earthquakes, developing regressions of magnitude on fault rupture parameters. Quite
credible correlations are obtained so that the order of magnitude of fault break
displacement can be estimated.

8.0 CONCLUSION

As a conclusion, we can see that fault is a fracture or zone of fractures between two
blocks of rock. Faults allow the blocks to move relative to each other. This movement
may occur rapidly, in the form of an earthquake - or may occur slowly, in the form of
creep. Faults may range in length from a few millimeters to thousands of kilometers. Most
faults produce repeated displacements over geologic time. During an earthquake, the rock
on one side of the fault suddenly slips with respect to the other. The fault surface can be
horizontal or vertical or some arbitrary angle in between.

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9.0 REFERENCE

a) http://www.builtsense.net/topic/213-folds-faults-and-joints-geological-structures/
b) http://www.waterpowermagazine.com/features/featuredam-design-the-effects-of-
active-faults/
c) http://geology.uprm.edu/Morelock/1_image/structure.htm

Lab Report Assessment

Rubric

CLO 1 (Technical expertise): 10%

Criteria (KI) 1 2 3 4 5 Weightage Total
Introduction 0.25
Result and analysis 0.5
Question and Discussion 0.5
Relevant calculation /
information 0.5
Conclusion 0.25
Total Total = 10%

CLO 2 (Communication skill): 2.5%

Criteria (KI) 1 2 3 4 5 Weightage Total
Material and organisation 0.17
Short and ease to understand 0.17
Attractive presentation 0.16
Total Total = 2.5%