UPSC Exam-Geologist Exam 2012-Geology Syllabus-Paper 3

(4) GEOLOGY - PAPER III

Section A : Indian mineral deposits and mineral economics

Occurrence and distribution in India of metalliferous deposits — base metals,  iron, manganese, aluminium, chromium, nickel, gold, silver, molybdenum. Indian deposits of non-metals — mica, asbestos, barytes, gypsum, graphite, apatite and beryl. Gemstones, refractory minerals, abrasives and minerals used in glass, fertilizer, paint, ceramic and cement industries. Building stones. Phosphorite deposits. Placer deposits, rare earth minerals. Strategic, critical and essential minerals. India’s status in mineral production. Changing patterns of mineral consumption. National Mineral Policy. Mineral Concession Rules. Marine mineral resources and Law of Sea.

Section B : Ore genesis

Ore deposits and ore minerals. Magmatic processes of mineralisation. Porphyry, skarn and hydrothermal mineralisation. Fluid inclusion studies. Mineralisation associated with — (i) ultramafic, mafic and acidic rocks, (ii) greenstone belts, (iii) komatiites, anorthosites and kimberlites and (iv) submarine volcanism. Magmarelated mineralisation through geological time. Stratiform and stratabound ores. Ores and metamorphism — cause and effect relations.

Section C: Mineral exploration

Methods of surface and subsurface exploration, prospecting for economic minerals — drilling, sampling and assaying. Geophysical techniques — gravity, electrical, magnetic, airborne and seismic. Geomorphological and remote sensing techniques. Geobotanical and geochemical methods. Borehole logging and surveys for deviation.

Section D : Geology of fuels

Definition, origin of coal. Stratigraphy of coal measures. Fundamentals of coal petrology, peat, lignite, bituminous and anthracite coal. Microscopic constituents of coal. Industrial application of coal petrology. Indian coal deposits. Diagenesis of organic materials. Origin, migration and entrapment of natural hydorcarbons   Characters of source and reservoir rocks. Structural, stratigraphic and mixed  traps. Techniques of exploration. Geographical and geological distributions of onshore and offshore petroliferous basins of India. Mineralogy and geochemistry of radioactive minerals. Instrumental techniques of detection and measurement of radioactivity. Radioactive methods for prospecting and assaying of mineral deposits. Distribution of radioactive minerals in India. Radioactive methods in petroleum exploration — well logging techniques. Nuclear waste disposal — geological constraints.

Section E : Engineering Geology

Mechanical properties of rocks and soils. Geological investigations for river valley projects — Dams and reservoirs; tunnels — types, methods and problems. Bridges — types and foundation problems. Shoreline engineering. Landslides — classification, causes, prevention and rehabilitation. Concrete aggregates —  sources, alkali-aggregate reaction. Aseismic designing — seismicity in India and earthquake-resistant structures. Problems of groundwater in engineering projects. Geotechnical case studies of major projects in India.