GEOLOGICAL CARTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGEOLOGY LABORATORY

The course aims at developing students’ knowledge and operative skills needed to:

•    prepare geological profiles at various scales;

•    read and interpret geological maps of southern Italy;

•    use official Italian geological maps.

The course helps strengthen students’ knowledge and understanding of:

•    the principles of geological surveying and thematic mapping as tools for observing, describing, and representing geological systems based on field data;

•    the main sedimentary, tectonic, magmatic, and metamorphic geological processes that govern the formation and evolution of geological systems within the context of the Earth System;

•    environmental systems, georesources, and geological heritage in relation to sustainability and interactions with human activities;

•    the fundamentals of advanced cartographic representation and geological modeling at various scales, and the main digital tools used for the processing, integration, and visualization of geological data.

 The course develops students’ ability to apply their knowledge and understanding to:

•    the use of stratigraphic, sedimentological, and structural data to reconstruct three-dimensional geological models of the subsurface and produce thematic maps;

•    the integration of various types of geological data—structural, stratigraphic, petrographic, and hydrogeological—to produce interpretive models of the geological and hydrogeological framework at different spatial and temporal scales within the context of the Earth System;

•    the translation of geological knowledge into operational assessments to support sustainable land management and the enhancement of georesources and geological heritage.

 The final evaluation will take into account the degree of achievement in the following areas:

•    autonomy in the ability to plan, based on cartographic data, complex interventions and plans in the territory, including those aimed at assessing natural hazards;

•    communication skills, demonstrated through the preparation of a report detailing the activities carried out;

•    the ability to independently consult databases, scientific literature, and regulatory references to enhance learning.

Levelling  of  cultural background of students on specific topics of the course

Knowledge and skills acquired in a bachelor degree covering:

the major geological processes on a global scale, their rates, and their long-term effects on the Earth’s surface, typically acquired in courses in physical geology or physical geography

the principles governing the analysis and description of stratigraphic sequences, typically acquired in courses in stratigraphic geology

the basic rules of stratimetry and the interpretation of geological maps, typically covered in geology courses

basic field surveying experience, acquired through attendance at basic geological surveying courses or fieldwork

knowledge of the criteria for analyzing and classifying rocks, typically acquired in petrography courses

basic knowledge of the identification and classification of various forms of landslides and surface formations, typically acquired in applied geology courses

basic skills in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and in the archiving and management of georeferenced data, typically acquired in introductory computer science and GIS courses

Practical activities on reading and interpreting maps at different scales for:

reconstructing stratigraphic successions

realization of 2D stratigraphic diagrams 

realization of 2D tectonic schemes

Practical activities for archiving of derived data in GIS environment

Practical activities on drawing geological profiles

Problem solving by use of surface and subsurface data

Practical test on:

realization of geological profiles

solving a geological problem from reading geological maps

Oral test on:

commentary on the outcome of the practical test

Result and corresponding grade:

Barely Passing to Passing: Knowledge not supported by a satisfactory understanding of the topics (18–19)

Fair: Knowledge and understanding of the topics not supported by adequate application skills (20–24)

Good: Knowledge and understanding of the topics, supported by adequate application skills and the ability to present ideas (25–27)

Very good: extensive knowledge and understanding of the topics, supported by excellent ability to apply and explain them (28–29)

Excellent: thorough knowledge and understanding of the topics, supported by remarkable ability to apply and explain them (30)

with possible mention of honors in cases of particular distinction