EASC2124:

Geological Maps and

Air Photos
Lecture/Practical 4:
Introduction to Structure Contours in
Geological Maps
Exercise 6 and 7
Todays Learning Outcome:
You should be able to understand and apply:
Outcrop patterns of Uniformly
Inclined Strata Law of V

Structure Contour Lines to
- Draw a Geological Cross Section
- Determine/Calculate strike, dip
direction and dip angle
- Determine the true (stratigraphic)
thickness of a bed

Concept of outcrop pattern of a
geological contact
Flat, planar topography
geological contacts of tilted
strata are straight lines on
the map.
Non-planar topography
geological contacts of tilted
strata have irregular shapes
on the map although the
contact between the two
beds is a planar surface.

Their shapes on the geological map is
produced by the intersection of two surfaces:

Geological planar surface of the contact
between two different beds (or formations)

The irregular topographic surface
Concept of outcrop
pattern of a
geological contact
The extent to which the topography
influences the shape of the contact
line depends on the dip angle of the
beds.
Review:
Strike = direction of a horizontal line drawn on
the surface of the tilted bed relative to north

Dip Direction: Dip direction is always perpendicular to the
strike direction.
Dip Angle: Angle of the dipping bed with the horizontal
Structure Contour
= horizontal line on a plane at a known elevation
= Strike line of known elevation
Dip Direction
= perpendicular to the strike in the direction where the
structure contour reduce in elevation
400m
500m
Law of V:
When the outcrop of dipping
strata crosses a valley
the outcrop pattern shows
a V-shape with its apex pointing
towards the dip direction.
Outrcrop Patterns
of dipping / tilted strata
Spacing/distance between
strike lines is a measure for
the dip angle.
Structure contours and Exercise 6
Structure contour
of the basalt-shale
contact at -100 m, 0
m, +100 m, , +400
m
Structure contour of the sandstone-shale
contact at -100 m, 0 m, +100 m, 200 m
100m
200m
0m
0m
100m
200m
-100m
300m
General Rules with the
overlay of structure and topographic contours

(1) In areas where topographic contours are at higher elevations than structure
contours, then the bedding plane is "buried at depth" below the earths surface.

(2) In areas where structure contours are at higher elevations than topographic
contours, then the bedding plane is above the topography of the earths surface
(i.e. it has been eroded away).

(3) In areas where structure contours and topographic contours intersect at the
same elevation, the bedding plane will outcrop at that point on the earth's
surface.


A line connecting the intersection points of structure contour and topographic
contour line of equal elevation on the map, will define the outcrop line" of that
bedding plane or geological contact on the earth's surface.


Structure contours and Exercise 6
Draw a topographic profile

Draw a geological cross-
section with the help of
given structure contours

Notate full attitude of beds
(strike and dip direction,
dip angle)

Add a legend
Completion of a
Geological
cross section

with the help of
Structure Contours

Upper contact (Red)

Completion of a

Geological
cross section

with the help of

Structure Contours

Lower contact (Blue)

LS/MS
600
LS/MS
500
LS/MS
400
LS/MS
300
MS/CO
500
MS/CO
400
Determination of Strike, Dip and Dip Direction
with the help of Construction of Structure Contours
Draw a Cross section
Determination of the Dip angle from Contour Lines
Tan (Dip angle)=
b-c / a-b
b-c = vertical
thickness

a-b =
distance
between the two
related strike
lines

= outcrop width
if the topography
is horizontal

True Thickness = Ts =

Vertical Thickness Tv x cos (dip angle)

Vertical Thickness = Tv
read from the
Structure Contours
True Thickness = Ts
Stratigraphic Thickness