GEOLOGY COURSE OUTLINE

University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Note: Depending on the lecturer teaching the course and nature of the text used for a particular course, there may be completely, little or no change to the following course outline:

GLG       101         Basic & Applied Geology for Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 3 Units

Important minerals and major rock types; geological time scale; study of geomorphic and soil-forming processes; relationship between soil and rock types; elements of structural geology; fossils and their uses: general characteristics of important animal and fossil groups; outline of the geology and mineral resources of Nigeria.

GLG       102         Basic & Applied Geology for Engineering | 4 Units

Important minerals and major rock types; geologic time scale; elements of physical geology and earth history; physical and engineering properties of rocks; Principles and mechanics of rocks deformation; study of slopes and their stability; Construction materials; essentials of hydrogeology and engineerin geology; outlines of geology and mineral resources of Nigeria.

GLG       103         Basic & Applied Geology for Environmental and Physical Sciences | 3 Units

The earth and the solar system; internal structures and physics of the earth; important minerals and major rock types; geologic sime-scale and geochronology; elements of earth history; relationship between geomorphic and structural features; weathering and erosion, gullying, landslides, floods, desert advance and environmental pollution and their control; outlines of the geology and mineral resources of Nigeria.

GLG       111         Physical Geology | 2 units

Study of the earth and the solar system; study of minerals – their crystallography, physical and chemical properties, major rock types; geomorphic processes and products; internal processes and products; economic resources of the earth.

GLG       141         Earth History | 3 units

The Geology time scale and dating of rocks. Origin and chemical evolution of the atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Fossils and their uses. Main biological groups to which fossils belong – life through geologic time. Concepts of paleoclimate, paleogeography, pleoceanography, paleomagnetism, fundamental principles of stratigraphy.

GLG       212         Crystallography and Mineralogy  | 2 units

Formation of crystal; crystalline state, laws of crystallography; space lattice and units cell; symmetry elements, goniometry and stereographic projection; crystallographic projection; crystallographic notations; seven crystal defects; twinning and twin laws. Principles of crystal chemistry; physical and determinative properties of minerals; systematic of minerals; silicate structures; description of common rock-forming minerals.

GLG       213         Optical Mineralogy | 2 units

Properties of light; polarizing microscope; double refraction, refractive index and relief; uniaxiality and biaxiality of crystals; optical indicatrix, optical properties of minerals under polarized, plane-polarized cross-polarized and covergent-polarised light; determination of optic sing and dispertion X-ray crystallography.

GLG       214         Petrology of Igneous & Metamorphic Rocks I | 2 units

Properties and chemistry of magma; volcanoes and their products; occurrences of intrusive igneous rocks; mineralogy and texture of igneous rocks descriptions of various classes of igneous rocks and their evolution. Metamorphism and its controlling factors; regional contacts and dislocation metamorphism; metamorphic fancies and migmatites.

GLG       221         Structural Geology and Map Interpretation | 2 units

Principles of rock deformation, attitudes of planes; study of geometry, mechanics and types of deformational structures; primary structures in igneous rocks, problems concerning geologic maps application of orthographic projection in structural geology; structural mapping practice.

GLG       241         Paleobiology I | 2 units

(Prerequisite: GLG 141, consent of the Department)

Rules of nomenclature, sampling and identification of fossils. Taxonomical and evolutionary studies of the major invertebrate phyla-Protozon, Porifera, coelentereta, Bryozoa, Brachiopoda, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata and graptolithina; their stratgraphic and paleoeconologic distribution; introduction to vertebrates plants and trace fossils.

GLG       251         Fields Geology | 2 units

Fundamentals of structural geology; description of deformational structures, field mapping techniques (the use of Bruton Compass and clinometers, place table etc); study of topographic maps; preparation of simple geologic maps; study of land use and conservation.

GLG       311         Petrology of Igneous & Metamorphic Rocks II | 4 units

Texture, mineralogy, chemistry, mode of occurrence, and classification of igneous and metamorphic rocks; anatexia, migmatites and magma types; mamtic evolution; types, facies and zones of metamorphism. Systematic. Petrographic study of igneous and metamorphic rock types. Phase rule and thermodynamic principles; cryatallization of silicate melts; one-component and two-component systems; eutectic, peritectic and solid solution series, reaction principles; mineral paragenesis; instrumental analysis of minerals and methods of normative mineral calaculation.

GLG       321         Structural Geology II | 3 units

(Prerequisite: GLG 221 or consent of the Department)

Stress and strain; deformational ellipsoid; major deformational structures of the earth; formation of cleavage, schistosity and lineation; mega and micro structures; emplacement of salt domes; plutones and other intrusive bodies; polyphase deformation; structural petrology. Problems concerning geologic maps and structures stereographic projection in structural geology.

GLG       322         Aerogeology and Remote Sensing | 2 units

Elements of photogrammetry and photo interpretation; preparation of photogeologic maps; satellite data; geologic application or remote sensing techniques.

GLG       331         Stratigraphy | 2 units

(Prerequisite: GLG111)

Development of stratigraphy and stratigraphic principles geologic time and geochronology; texture, structure, and composition of sedimentary rocks, sedimentary environment, stratigraphic record in time and space; litho and biostratigraphic units; stratigraphic codes and nomenclature principles and practice of correlation.

GLG       Sedimentology | 3 units

Origin of sediments; sedimentary processes; hydrodynamic interpretation; quantitative and statistical study of sedimentary rocks; description of sedimentary environments from rock records. Petrographic study of selected thin sections under polarizing microscope.

GLG       333         Geology of Nigeria and Africa | 3 units

Distribution and description of Igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks of Nigeria and Africa; structural development and major tectonic elements of Nigeria and Africa; economic geology of Nigeria and Africa. Survey of world geology.

GLG       341         Paleobiology II | 3 units

(Prerequisite: GLG 241 or consent of the Department)

Paleonotologic principles and paleobiologic models. Macro and micro evolution. Taxonomic morphologic and biostratigraphic studies of the major groups of microfossils especially foraminifera and pollen and spores; their paleoenvironmental applications.

GLG       462         Marine Geology | 2 units

History of oceanographic expeditions and research; elements of physical oceanography; oceans and climates; chemical, physical and biological aspects of oceans; description and origin of main physiographic features of oceans; resources of oceans, their exploration and exploitation; ocean laws. Management and conservation.

GLG       471         Geophysics | 3 units

Induced polarization; Electromagnetic, well-logging and seismic prospecting methods. Geophysical methods in hydrogeology and engineering geology.

GLG       472         Petroleum Geology | 3 units

Composition, origin maturation of petroleum, Migration and accumulation of petroleum; source reservoir and cap rocks; types of traps; drilling, logging and production; reservoirs and reserve estimation; recovery and exploration methods; geological and geographical distribution of petroleum; petroleum geology of Nigeria.

GLG       473         Tectonophysics | 2 units

Internal constitution of the earth; global tectonics and polar wandering; paleomagnetism and seafloor speeding ect. Study of a major tectonic elements of the earth such as heat-flow rift zones island area, continental margins, mobile belts and shield areas of the world magnetosgratigraphy and geochronology.

GLG       481         Hydrogeology | 3 units

Concurrence, movement, replenishment and depletion of groundwater, physics of fluid-flow in porous media; porosity and permeability; well boring, testing and development; groundwater exploitation and exploration, environment isotopes and tracers, groundwater quality and contamination, groundwater and geotechnical problems.

GLG       482         Engineering Geology | 3 units

Application of geologic principles to engineering problems, geologic site in investigations dams, tunnels, reservoir etc. Engineering properties of rocks and minerals; elements of solid mechanical foundations concrete aggregates and quarrying techniques, influence of groundwater on engineering structures.

GLG       492         Project | 6 units

Students maps and submit a thesis on the geology of a selected area. (The project is done under the supervision of a staff of the department). Mapping which is begun during the long vacation prior to forth fifth year is concluded during mid semester break.