Engineering Geology is the application of the science of geology to the understanding of geologic phenomena and the engineering solution of geologic hazards and other geologic problems for society. Engineering geologic studies may be performed during the planning, environmental impact analysis, civil engineering design, value engineering and construction phases of public and private works projects, and during post-construction and forensic phases of projects. Engineering geologic studies are performed by a geologist or engineering geologist educated, professionally trained and skilled at the recognition and analysis of geologic hazards and adverse geologic conditions. Their overall objective is the protection of people and property against damage and the solution of geologic problems. Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history and the processes that shape it. ... Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. ... A Geologic Hazard is one of several types of adverse geologic conditions capable of causing damage or loss of property and life. ... Environmental impact analysis is conducted to determine the likely human environmental health impact, risk to ecological health, and changes to natures services that a proposed or ongoing project may bring, or is bringing. ... The Falkirk Wheel in Scotland. ... Usually considered in the context of the applied arts, engineering, architecture, and other such creative endeavours, design is used as both a noun and a verb. ... Value Engineering is a systematic method to improve the Value of goods and services by using an examination of FUNCTION. Value, as defined, is the ratio of Function to Cost. ... Forensics or forensic science is the application of science to questions which are of interest to the legal system. ... A geologist is a contributor to the science of geology, studying the physical structure and processes of the Earth. ... An engineering geologist is a geologist trained and experienced in the discipline of engineering geology. ... A Geologic Hazard is one of several types of adverse geologic conditions capable of causing damage or loss of property and life. ...

Engineering geologic studies may be performed

• for residential, commercial and industrial developments;
• for governmental and military installations;
• for public works such as a power plant, wind turbine, electrical transmission line, sewage treatment plant, water treatment plant, pipeline (aqueduct, sewer, outfall), tunnel, trenchless construction, canal, dam, reservoir, building, railroad, transit, highway, bridge, seismic retrofit, airport and park;
• for mine and quarry excavations, mine tailing dam, mine reclamation and mine tunneling;
• for wetland and habitat restoration program;
• for coastal engineering, sand replenishment, bluff or sea cliff stability, harbor, pier and waterfront development;
• for offshore outfall, drilling platform and sub-sea pipeline, sub-sea cable; and
• for other types of facilities.

It is important to keep in mind that in engineering geology, there are only two important types of rock: those which can be moved by a bulldozer, and those which require dynamite. A power station (also power plant) is a facility for the generation of electric power. ... Horizontal axis wind turbine, the Enercon model E-66 wind energy converter, in Germany. ... A transmission line is the material medium or structure that forms all or part of a path from one place to another for directing the transmission of energy, such as electromagnetic waves or acoustic waves, as well as electric power transmission. ... Sewage (or domestic wastewater) treatment incorporates physical, chemical and biological processes which treat and remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants from water following human use. ... Water treatment in a general sense reffers to the treatement of water to make it more acceptable for what will be done with it (either usage or discharge into the environment). ... Pont du Gard, France, a Roman aqueduct built circa 19 BC. It is one of Frances top tourist attractions and a World Heritage Site. ... Sewers transport wastewater from buildings to treatment facilities. ... A disused railway tunnel now converted to pedestrian and bicycle use, near Houyet, Belgium A tunnel is an underground passage. ... Trenchless technology is a rapidly growing sector of the construction and civil engineering industries. ... The Canal du Midi in Toulouse, France. ... Scrivener Dam, in Canberra, Australia, was engineered to withstand a once-in-5000-years flood event A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment. ... Gelmersee is a reservoir in Switzerland. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... The word transit, when used alone, has several possible meanings in English means of transport, including mass transit, rapid transit, public transit, public transport; see transit (transportation) in astronomy an event involving two bodies along the same line of sight; see astronomical transit in astrology means when a planet makes... Highway in Pennsylvania, USA For other uses, see Highway (disambiguation). ... A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine. ... Seismic retrofitting is the modification of existing structures to make them more resistant to seismic activity, ground motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes. ... The El Chino Mine located near Silver City, New Mexico is an open-pit copper mine This article is about mineral extraction. ... A small cinder quarry A dimension stone quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. ... Mine reclamation is the process of creating useful landscapes that meet a variety of goals, typically creating productive ecosystems (or sometimes industrial or municipal land) from mined land. ... The word tunneling (also spelled tunnelling) has more than one meaning. ... A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ... A coastal image featured on a United States postal stamp. ... This article is about the New Zealand town of Bluff. ... It has been proposed below that Sea Cliff be renamed and moved to Sea Cliff, San Francisco. ... A harbor (AmE), harbour (CwE) or haven is a place where ships may shelter from the weather or are stored. ... A pier in Lillebælt, Denmark illustrates the simplest form of pier Southend Pier in England is one of the longest piers, at 1. ... Sedimentary, volcanic, plutonic, metamorphic rock types of North America. ... A bulldozer is a powerful crawler (caterpillar tracked tractor) equipped with a blade. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Geologic Hazards

Typical geologic hazards evaluated by an engineering geologist include A Geologic Hazard is one of several types of adverse geologic conditions capable of causing damage or loss of property and life. ... An engineering geologist is a geologist trained and experienced in the discipline of engineering geology. ...

• fault rupture on seismically active faults ;
• seismic and earthquake hazards (ground shaking, liquefaction, lurching,lateral spreading, tsunami and seiche events);
• landslide, mudflow, rock fall and avalanche hazards ;
• unstable slopes and slope stability;
• erosion;
• slaking and heave of geologic formations;
• ground subsidence (such as due to ground water withdrawal, sinkhole collapse, cave collapse, decomposition of organic soils, and tectonic movement);
• volcanic hazards (volcanic eruptions, hot springs, pyroclastic flows, debris flows, gas emissions, volcanic earthquakes);
• collapsible soils;
• shallow ground water/seepage; and
• other types of geologic constraints.

An engineering geologist or geophysicist may be called upon to evaluate the excavatability (i.e. rippability) of earth (rock) materials to assess the need for pre-blasting during earthwork construction, as well as associated impacts due to vibration during blasting on projects. Old fault exposed by roadcut near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. ... Seismology (from the Greek seismos = earthquake and logos = word) is the scientific study of earthquakes and the movement of waves through the Earth. ... An earthquake is a phenomenon that results from and is powered by the sudden release of stress in rocks that radiates seismic waves. ... Liquefaction may refer to: Soil liquefaction, the process by which sediments are converted into suspension, as in earthquake liquefaction, quicksand, quick clay, and turbidity currents. ... The tsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ... A seiche (pronounced saysh) or an underwater wave is a standing wave in a body of water. ... Landslide of soil and regolith in Pakistan A landslide is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rock falls, deep failure of slopes, and shallow debris flows, see flow. ... This article is geological phenomenon; a mudslide is also an alcoholic drink. ... A Himalayan avalanche. ... Slope stability is the geotechnical analysis of a soil covered hillslope and its potential to undergo mass wasting. ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock, and other particles) by the agents of wind, water, ice, movement in response to gravity, or living organisms (in the case of bioerosion). ... Slaking (ケッキング Kekking in Japan, Letarking in Germany and Monaflemit in France) is a powerful sloth Pokémon, with stats similar to that of the most powerful legendaries. ... A road destroyed by subsidence and shear. ... Groundwater is any water found below the land surface. ... Devils Hole near Hawthorne, Florida Sinkholes, also known as sinks, dolines (in the Slovene language doline means valleys), and cenotes, are formed by the collapse of cave roofs and are a feature of landscapes that are based on limestone bedrock. ... Alternate meanings: Cave (disambiguation) This article is about natural caves; for artificial caves used as dwellings, such as those in north China, see yaodong. ... ... This article is about volcanoes in geology. ... This article is about volcanoes in geology. ... Green Dragon Spring at Norris Geyser A hot spring is a place where warm or hot groundwater issues from the ground on a regular basis for at least a predictable part of the year, and is significantly above the ambient ground temperature (which is usually around 55~57°F or... Pyroclastic flows are a common and devastating result of some volcanic eruptions. ... Global earthquake epicenters, 1963–1998. ... Geophysics, the study of the earth by quantitative physical methods, especially by seismic reflection and refraction, gravity, magnetic, electrical, electromagnetic, and radioactivity methods. ... The excavatability of a earth (rock) material is a measure of the material to be excavated (dug) with conventional excavation equipment such as a bulldozer with rippers, backhoe, scraper and other grading equipment. ... The rippability of an earth (rock) material is a measure of its ability to be excavated with conventional excavation equipment. ... Rock blasting is the controlled use of explosives to excavate rock. ... See Oscillator (disambiguation) for particular types of oscillation and oscillators. ...

Methods and Reporting

The methods used by engineering geologists in their studies include An engineering geologist is a geologist trained and experienced in the discipline of engineering geology. ...

• geologic field mapping of geologic structures, geologic formations, soil units and hazards;
• the review of geologic literature, geologic maps, geotechnical reports, engineering plans, environmental reports, stereoscopic aerial photographs, remote sensing data, Global Positioning System (GPS) data, topographic maps and satellite imagery;
• the excavation, sampling and logging of earth/rock materials in drilled borings, backhoe test pits and trenches, fault trenching, and bulldozer pits;
• geophysical surveys (such as seismic refraction traverses, resistivity surveys, ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys, magnetometer surveys, electromagnetic surveys, high-resolution sub-bottom profiling, and other geophysical methods); and
• other methods.

The field work is typically culminated in analysis of the data and the preparation of an engineering geologic report, fault hazard or seismic hazard report, geophysical report, ground water resource report or hydrogeologic report. The engineering geologic report is often prepared in conjunction with a geotechnical engineering report by a geotechnical engineer. The report describes the objectives, methodology, references cited, tests performed, findings and recommendations. Engineering geologists provide geologic data on topograpic maps, aerial photographs, geologic maps, Geographic Information System (GIS) maps, or other map bases. The word mapping has several senses: In mathematics and related technical fields, it is some kind of function: see map (mathematics). ... Aerial photography is the taking of photographs from above with a camera mounted on an aircraft, balloon, rocket, kite or similar vehicle. ... GPS satellite in orbit, image courtesy NASA GPS redirects here. ... A satellite is any object that orbits another object (which is known as its primary). ... Geophysics, the study of the earth by quantitative physical methods, especially by seismic reflection and refraction, gravity, magnetic, electrical, electromagnetic, and radioactivity methods. ... Seismic refraction is a geophysical principle (see refraction). ... Electrical resistivity (also known as specific electrical resistance) is a measure of how strongly a material opposes the flow of electric current. ... Ground penetrating radar works much like regular radar, using pulses of electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range and reading the reflected signal to detect subsurface structures and objects without drilling, probing or otherwise breaking the ground surface. ... A magnetometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the strength of magnetic fields. ... Electromagnetism is the physics of the electromagnetic field: a field, encompassing all of space, composed of the electric field and the magnetic field. ... Groundwater is any water found below the land surface. ... Hydrogeology (hydro- meaning water, and -geology meaning the study of rocks) is the part of hydrology that deals with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil and rocks of the Earths crust (commonly in aquifers). ... Bostons Big Dig presented geotechnical challenges in an urban environment. ... A geographic information system or geographical information system (GIS) is a system for creating and managing spatial data and associated attributes. ...

See also

• Important publications in engineering geology
• Geotechnical Engineering Directory