EARTH SCIENCE AND MARINE GEOLOGY COURSE
Course Instructor's Report 1 March · 21 May 1993
Russell Howorth and Talanoafuka Kitekei'aho SOPAC Secretariat
August 1993 SOPAC Training Report 56
Prepared for: South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) Training
Program
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................... 4
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 4
FUNDING ................................................................................................................................................. 5
PARTICIPANTS ....................................................................................................................................... 5
CONTENT OF THE COURSE .................................................................................................................. 6
PARTICIPANTS ASSESSMENT/EXAMINATION ..................................................................................... 7
TRAINING PROGRAM 1994 .................................................................................................................... 7
APPENDICES
1 Course Outline ..............................................................................................................8
2 Actual Daily Schedule ...................................................................................................9
3 Self Assessment Questions ........................................................................................14
4 Examination Questions ...............................................................................................28
"Note: Appendices 3 and 4 are not circulated but are available at the Secretariat
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The course was financed by funds made available from the Commonwealth Funds for Technical
Corporation (CFTC) and the Government of New Zealand. The staffing was made available by
financial assistance from the Government of New Zealand and the European Community.
Financial support for mining company sponsored participants was received from the Placer
Exploration Limited and the Emperor Gold Mines Limited.
The following people contributed valuable assistance to the success of this course:-
• Staff of the Marine Studies Program, USP, especially Dr Gary Yeo, Marine Geologist
and Mr Fiu Manueli, Course Technician.
• Staff of the Mineral Resources Department of Fiji for providing the seismic equipment
and time to conduct seismic exercises for the students.
INTRODUCTION
The Basic Earth Science Course was conducted on the Lower Campus of the University of the
South Pacific (USP) in Suva from 01 March to 21 May 1993 as part of the Marine Studies Program.
This course is the first of a three-year cycle of courses culminating in the awarding of the Certificate
in Earth Science & Marine Geology to successful participants. Following this basic course are four
Advanced Courses scheduled for 1994 and 1995.
The principal objective of this course is to bring the participants, who come from a wide range of
backgrounds and experience, to a common level of knowledge. Participants must be nominated by
their governments and be employed at the technical or field assistant level in the general area of
earth sciences either in the public or private sector. As such entry qualifications to the Basic
Course are few.
The Course Instructors were Dr Russell Howorth, Training Coordinator, SOPAC and Mr
Talanoafuka Kitekei'aho, Assistant Training Coordinator, SOPAC.
Persons who assisted with teaching included Dr Gary Yeo, Marine Geologist of USP; Phil
Woodward, Chief Cartographer and Robert Smith, Marine Geophysicist of SOPAC. The Course
Technician was Mr Fiu Manueli of the Marine Studies Program, USP.
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FUNDING
Sponsorship for the students was provided by CFTC for the non-Fiji participants, and the
Government of New Zealand for Fiji Government participants. Two mining companies active in Fiji,
Placer Exploration Limited and Emperor Gold Mines Limited sponsored participants.
A statement of income and expenditure will be provided later to the donors once accounting
has been completed.
PARTICIPANTS
A total of 30 participants attended the course. The maximum number of participants which have
attended previous courses is 19. The extra numbers placed a great strain on the teaching
resources. Participants were from seven countries in the SOPAC region: Cook Islands (2), Western
Samoa (3), Solomon Islands (3), Papua New Guinea (2), Vanuatu (4), Kiribati (1), Fiji (15).
The affiliations of the participants that attended the course are as follows:
Cook Islands
Matangaro Ngatokorua Trainee Technician, Ministry of Works & Development,
Rarotonga Upokoina Tiaiti Trainee Technician, Ministry of Works & Development,
Rarotonga
Fiji
Moape Navia Snr Technical Assistant, Mineral Resources Department, Suva
Susana Lupe Technical Assistant, Mineral Resources Department, Suva
Mahemood Feroz Snr Technical Assistant, Mineral Resources Department, Suva
Deep Singh Snr Technical Assistant, Mineral Resources Department, Suva
Saiyad Saheem Technical Assistant, Mineral Resources Department, Suva
Asenaca Nayago Snr Technical Assistant, Hydrology, Public Works Department, Suva
Peni Bavia Snr Hydrology Technician, Public Works Department, Suva
Ashok Kumar Technical Officer, DE Northern, Public Works Department, Labasa
Viani Sauduadua Technical Assistant, Placer Exploration Limited, Suva
Toma Nemani Technical Assistant, Placer Exploration Limited, Suva
lowane Taukeisalili Technical Assistant, Placer Exploration Limited, Suva
losefo Qaniuci Technical Assistant, Placer Exploration Limited, Suva
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Alekisio Kitolelei Technical Assistant, Placer Exploration Limited, Suva
Rishi Ram Decline Geologist, Emperor Gold Mines, Vatukoula
Suruj Deo Underground Sampler, Emperor Gold Mines, Vatukoula
Kiribati
lenimoa Katia Civil Technician, Public Works Department, Tarawa
Papua New Guinea
Behori Roua Snr Technical Officer, Dept of Mining & Petroleum, Port Moresby
Alois Giwisa Technical officer, Dept of Mining & Petroleum, Rabaul Volcanological
Observatory
Solomon Islands
Michael Maehaka Hydrological Officer, Ministry of Natural Resources, Honiara
Linston Tivuru Geological Assistant, Ministry of Natural Resources, Honiara
Stanley Basi Geological Assistant, Ministry of Natural Resources, Honiara
Vanuatu
Siri Seule Geological Assistant, Dept of Geology, Mines & Water Resources, Port Vila
Steven Bule Technical Assistant, Dept of Geology, Mines & Water Resources, Port Vila
Makali Arsen Asst Driller, Dept of Geology, Mines & Water Resources, Port Vila
Charley Douglas Technical Officer, Dept of Geology, Mines & Water Resources, Port Vila
Western Samoa
Samuela Taape Technical Assistant, Apia Observatory, Apia
Faasuaga Leota Technical Assistant, Apia Observatory, Apia
Samuelu Tavoi Technical Assistant, Apia Observatory, Apia
CONTENT OF THE COURSE
The outline for the course is given in Appendix 1. The daily work program with the exception of field
work was run on a 08H30-1 0H00; 10H30-12H00; 13H30-15H00; 15H30-16H30 basis. The actual
daily schedule is given in Appendix 2. Unfortunately the laboratory thin sectioning part of the
course was not completed as the rock-saw was damaged. It was also not possible to take the field
trip to the Yasawas.
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Out of the 57 course days, 10 days were spent in the field. Field trips included mapping in the
Nadi Basin (5 days), geophysical surveys and navigational exercises (2 days), a pace and
compass traverse of the Nasinu Quarry (1 day), a visit to Mau Quarry to study rock types (1 day)
and a study of fault and dipping strata on road cuttings along the Kings Road, Tailevu (1 day).
PARTICIPANTS ASSESSMENT/EXAMINATION
Each participant was assessed on their performance during the course (practical exercises and
field reports) and by 2 two-hour examinations at the end of the course. Participants were given
chances to review lectures through discussions based on Self Assessment Questions (Appendix
3). The examination papers are given in Appendix 4.
The final results for the course are available at both USP and SOPAC. Each participant was
awarded an informal Course Certificate by SOPAC.
Final marks ranged between 40% and 76% with the class average at 57%. Seven out of the 30
participants did not achieve 50%.
TRAINING PROGRAM 1994
It is proposed to run Advance Course I - Earth Materials and Advanced Course II - Marine Geology
and Earth History in 1994 during the 12-week period from March to May. A duration of six weeks
will be assigned to each course. Each course will be assessed through practical and examinations
towards the end of its six weeks.
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APPENDIX 1
Course Outline
Basic Earth Science & Marine Geology Course
(a) Broad physical features of the earth; origin and timescale, geometry of plate tectonics, internal
structure, surface structure, morphology, oceanography, earthquakes and volcanoes.
(b) Brief discussions of offshore and onshore mineral exploration and resources, energy resources in
the southwest Pacific region.
(c) Major rock and mineral groups, recognition and description of common rock forming and economic
minerals in hand specimen, recognition and description of common rock types in hand specimen,
simple classification of rocks.
(d) Laboratory thin sectioning techniques, and making thin sections.
(e) Laboratory techniques in sieving sediments and data presentation using simple statistics.
(f) Topographic and bathymetric map interpretation; 3-D thinking, surface morphology, contours, uses
of maps and cross-sections and block models.
(g) Geological map interpretation, 3-D thinking, outcrop patterns of simple dipping strata - effect of
angle and dip and topography, recognition of simple faults - estimation of dip and throw; uses of
structural contours; three-borehole type problems; simple folds, simple unconformities; completing a
geological map given partial outcrop and assuming simple structures.
(h) Introduction to geophysical surveying, properties of seismic waves, principles of refraction,
surveying, carrying out field work and subsequent data reduction and report.
(i) Introduction to marine surveying, short cruise, echo sounding, simple navigation, use of sextant for
inshore position fixing.
(j) Geological field mapping, field trips, pace and compass traversing, perspective sketching, uses of
scales, measuring dips and dip directions, locating geological boundaries, recording in field
notebook, description of outcrop, accurate sample collecting/location; recognition of zones of
alteration and mineralisation, intepreting mesoscopic structures, plotting up field maps, data
sheets, follow up laboratory work and report preparation.
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APPENDIX 3
1993
EARTH SCIENCE & MARINE GEOLOGY COURSE
SELF ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS: 1
1. Write down the Principle of Uniformitarianism.
2. What do you understand by relative time?
3. What do you understand by real time?
4. List the periods of the Geological Time Scale in order from oldest to youngest.
5. What is the approximate age of the Earth?
6. Approximately what age are the oldest rocks in the island nations in the South Pacific excluding Papua New Guinea?
7. Approximately what age are the oldest rocks in Papua New Guinea?
8. Are the rocks in Papua New Guinea generally considered young compared with the age of the Earth?
9. Approximately how long ago did the first organisms with hard skeletal parts appear?
10. Approximately how many million years ago did "hominid" (humanlike) creatures appear?
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1993
EARTH SCIENCE & MARINE GEOLOGY COURSE
SELF ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS: 2
1. Who was the first person to calculate the circumference of the Earth?
2. Draw a sketch to show how the circumference of the Earth was first calculated.
3. What evidence indicated the Earth is nearly spherical?
4. What is the correct name for the shape of the Earth?
5. How was the Earth's shape determined?
6. Write down the equation for Newton's Law of Gravitation.
7. Explain each of the terms in Newton's Law.
8. What is the difference in length between the polar diameter and the equatorial diameter of the Earth?
9. What are the five planets that were first discovered and how were they discovered?
10. What is the distance of the earth from the sun?
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36. (25 marks)
On MAP 1 (provided) is shown an island with heights above sea
level as spot heights and depths below sea level by bathymetric
contours.
(a) Show topographic contours for the island at 50 m intervals.
(b) Draw a cross section from A-B with no vertical
exaggeration.
(c) What is the approximate area of the island?
- 1 square kilometre?
- 10 square kilometres?
- 100 square kilometres?
37. (40 Marks)
(a) On MAP 2 (provided) are shown contours and stream
pattern. At A Band C the outcrop of the upper surface of a
bed of sandstone is seen. Overlying the sandstone is a bed
of limestone. Draw structural contours (strike lines) for the
sandstone-limestone contact.
(b) Determine the amount of dip and dip direction assuming
the contact is planar.
(c) Show the outcrop pattern of this contact.
(d) Determine the depth to the sandstone in a drill hole at D.
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