GENERAL GEOLOGY

Unit - I
External agencies
Weathering
Wind
River
Sea
Landslide
Internal agencies
Earthquakes
Plate tectonics
Groundwater
Scope of Geology in engineering
Geological Agencies
Introduction
More than 70% of earth is covered with
water in forms of river, sea and ocean
A sea is an extensively developed continuous
body of salt water having numerous inland
extensions
There is generally a sequences of slopes from shore
to the sea floor
Continental shelf
Continental slope
Abyssal plain
Geological work of Sea
The Sea waves and Currents
Waves
(a) Oscillatory Waves (surf zone)
(b) Translatory Waves (shallower depth)
Currents
(a) Littoral Currents (parallel to the shore)
(b) Rip Currents (moving backwards)
Marine Erosion
Attrition
Hydraulic action
Abrasion
Corrosion
Processes of erosion
Processes of erosion
Features of Marine Erosion
Modification of the original shoreline
Depending on number of factors
The strength of the sea waves and currents, their magnitude, velocity
and duration of operation
The lithology of the shore, that is, the type of rocks, their texture,
structure and chemical composition
The seaward slope of shore line whether gentle or steep
The height of the shore-line
The depth and chemical composition of water and
The original profile of the shore-line
EROSIONAL
LANDFORMS
Landforms of Coastal Erosion
Headlands
Bays
Sea Cliffs
Wavecut Terraces
Sea Caves
Sea Arch
Stack
Stump
Headlands and Bays
Sloping shore line materials of unequal harness, the
softer rocks get eroded easily and quickly.
Headlands
Bays
Sea Cliffs
Seaward facing steep front of a moderately high shore-line
and is the first stage of the work of waves on the shore rocks.
They are outstanding rock projections having been smoothed
and plucked, pitted at one place and polished at another spot
by a combined action of waves and currents
Wave-Cut Terraces
A wave-cut terrace is a shallow water-shelf
carved out of the shore rocks by advancing
waves.
The waves first cut a notch where they strike
against the cliff rock.
How are cliffs and wave-cut platforms formed?
DEPOSIONAL
LANDFORMS
Landforms of coastal deposition
Shallow Water
(Neritic Deposition)
Beaches
Spits
Tombolos and Bars
Deep Water Deposits
Coral Reefs
Fringing reefs
Barrier refs
Atolls
Tombolo
Beach
CORAL REEFS
Peculiar types of ridge-like marine deposits which have been formed
due to accumulation of dead parts of certain types of sea-organisms -
corals (calcium secreting organisms)
Tabular sheets
Islands
Sinking of Islands
Flat topped ridges
Fully Submerged
Forms Lagoons
Shore Control Problems
Two main aspects of shore-control
problems are :
Rehabilitation and stabilization of the
beach areas that have acquired immense
importance in the developmental
programmes.
Safety of Offshore structures
People and Coastlines
Sea Walls Sea walls are concrete walls with a curved
top on them which helps to deflect the waves back out
to sea.
Boulders Large rocks are placed at the base of cliffs
or in front of sand dunes. It prevents erosion by
reducing the power of the waves.
Groynes Groynes are low walls built of wood. They
are built at right angles to the shore to help prevent
sand being moved along the beach by Longshore Drift.
Protecting the Coastline using Groynes
Groynes help to trap sand as it is being moved by
longshore drif
Protecting the Coastline using Boulders
To protect sand dunes from erosion
How are spits formed?