Geology Syllabus : PPSC Exam

• Related Links
• Management
• Veterinary
• Medical
• Mechanical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Electrical
• Elex. Engg.
• Computer
• Public Administration
• Punjabi
• Hindi
• Urdu
• sanskrit
• English
• Physics
• Commerce

Time : 3 hrs.

Max. Marks : 100

Section A - (Gemorphology, Remote Sensing and Esvironmental Geology)

• Basic concepts of geomorphology. Weathering and mass wasting. Geomorphic processes and resulting landforms and their discrimination on photos and images. Terrian evaluation for strategic purposes. Applications of geomorphology in mineral prospecting, hydrogelolgy and environmental studies.
• General idea about electromagnetic spectrum, aerial photographs and their geometry. Satellite remote sensing and data products. Global and Indian space missions. Applications of remote sensing in geology . ( Image characters & relation with ground objects, terrain analysis, groundwater potential, rock types, topography and tectonic feature) Principles of Geographic Information System and its application. Global Positioning System.
• Time scale of global changes in the ecosystems and climate. Impact of circulations in atmosphere and oceans on climate, rainfall and agriculture. Carbondioxde in atmosphere, limestone deposits in the geological sequences. Global warning caused by CO2 increase due to indiscrete exploitation of fossil fuels, volcanic eruptions and deforestation. Influence fo neotectonics in nature hazard assessment.

Section B - (General Geology, Structural Geology and Hydrogeology)

• Volcanoes : causes and products, volcanic belts. Earthquakes: causes, effects, earthquake belts, seismicity of India, intensity and magnitude. Island arcs, deep sea trenches and mid-oceanic ridges. Continental drift : efidence and mechanics, seafloor spreading, plate tectonics. Isostasy, oroteny and epeirogeny. Orogenic belts of India. Tectonic framework of India. Structure and origin of Himalayan belt.
• Mechanical principles, Fracture and joints : origin, age, relationship and significance. Causes and dynamics of faulting : overthrusts and nappes. Plannar and linear fabrics in deformed rocks, their origin and significance. Intorduction to Petrofabrics, use of beta and pi diagrams in structural geology.
• Role of Engineering Geology in civil costruction. Engineering properties of rocks. Geological investigation for dams, tunnels and bridges . Rock as construction material. Alkali-aggregate reaction. Mass movements with special emphasis on landslides and causes of hill slope instability. Earthquake-resistant structures.
• Occurrence of groundwater : Aquifers, their types. Darcy’s Law. Hydrologic properties of rocks. Elements of pump tests. Types of wells. Exploration for groundwater. Rain Water harverting. Recharge of groundwater. Groundwater management in Punjab State.

Section C - (Mineratogy and Pertrogy)

• Crystal systems and classes of symmetry. Crystallographic notation. Crystal defects. Elements of X-ray crystallography : optical properties of common rock forming minerals. Detemination of refractive index, anorthite content of plagioclase and optic sign of minerals.
• Generation and crystallization of magma, its composition and properties. Bowen’s Reaction Principles. Elementary principles of thermodynamics. Crystallisties in simple entectic and peritectic systems for binary and ternary systems. Magmatic differentiation and assimilation. Petrogenetic significance of testures of igeous rocks. Petrography and petrogeneses of granite, syenite, granodiorites, basic and ultrabasic groups, charnockite, anorthosite and alkaline rocks. Carbonatites. Plate tedtonics and petrology. Deccan volcanic province.
• Grades of metamorphism with respect to parent rocks, metamorphic facies. Mineralogical phase rule. Equilibrium and non-equilibrium reactions in metamorphic rocks. Nomenclature of metemophic rocks Phase diagrams. Migmatites. Contact metamorphism. Regional metamorphism in relation to plate tectonics.
• Chemistry of weathering processes. Diagenesis of terrigenous and chemical sediments; their nomenclature/classification. Sedimentary structures and their interpretation. Grain size analysis and representation of data. Heavy minerals, provenance of sediments. Sedimentary basins of India. Dhnamic of eolian, fluvial near-shore and deep sea environments. Concepts of sedimentary facies; basic principles of palaeoenvironment and palaeoclimate analyses.

Section D - (Geochemistry, Economic, Mining and Engineering Geology)

• Cosmic abundance of elements. Atomic structures and properties of elements in the periodic table. Geochemical classification of elements. Meteorites, their characteristics and classification. Goldschmidt’s rules for atomic substitution. Elements fo radiogenic dating. Nature of atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere.
• Terminology and classfication of ore deposits. Processes of formation of mineral deposits. Controls fo ore localization. Geology of the important Indian deposits of aluminum, chromium, copperm, gold, iron, lead, zinc, manganese, titanium, uranium and thorium and industrial minerals deposites of coal and petroleum in India. Conservation and utilization of mineral resources. Marine minerals in national economy. National Mineral Policy of India; Resource and reserves.
• Methods of prospecting - grological, geophysical, geochemical and geobotanical. Sampling and estimation of reserves of ore. Methods of exploration and mining. Mineral beneficiation and ore dressing.
• Engineering properties of rocks. Geological investigation for dams , tunnels and bridges. Rocks as construction material. Alkali-aggregate reaction. Landslides: causes, prevention and rehabilitation. Earthquake-resistant structures.

Section E - (Palaeobilolgy, Stratigraphy and Geology of India)

• Concept of geological time in relation to animal and plant life.
• Species-definition and nomenclature. Detailed morphotaxonomy, evolutionary trends, geological history and distibution of early metazoans, Archaescyathida and phyla : Mollusca, Brachiopda, Arthropped (class Trilobita), Coelnatrata, Echinodermata (class echinoidea). Siwalik fauna. Gondwana. Flora and its importance. Application of microfossils in correlation, petroleum exploration, palaeoclimatic and palaeoceanographic studies.
• Classification of stratigraphic sequences - lighostratigraphic, biostratigraphic, chronostratigraphic and magnestostratigraphic and their interrelationships. Distribution and classification of Precambrian rocks of India. Study of stratigraphic distribution and lithology of phanerozoic rocks of India with reference to fauna, flora and economic impotant. Major boundary problems-Cambrian/Precambrian, Permian/Trassic, Cretaceous/Tertiary and Pliocene/ Pleistocene. Study fo climatic condition, paleogeography and igneous activety in the Indian subcontinent in the geological past.

Note : The syllabus consists of five section and correspondingly the question paper will have five sections, each containing two question. The candidate will be required to attempt five questions selection one from each section. The question may contain many short answer parts which should be well focused. Essay type questions may be avoided by the paper setter.