Fundamentals of geology

Geology Portal

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Anthropogenic pollution	The most diverse bedrock and rock components have weathered to fertile soils over thousands of years. They constitute the indispensable foundation for the terrestrial ecosystem, for plant growth and higher forms of life. The Swiss Soil Monitoring Network NABO monitors the state and development of soil pollution and is an important instrument in preventative soil protection.
Applications	All of us are confronted daily – often unknowingly – confronted with geology: from the ground on which we live, past the concrete as part of a building’s foundation, to the copper in the mobile telephone, so much has to do with geology.

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Boreholes	Boreholes provide information about the composition of the ground. They also serve a particular purpose: for example, for the production of natural gas or as preparation for construction methods.
Bergregal	The Bergregal (principles of mining law) regulates the property rights for mineral resources. In Switzerland, it is mostly determined by the cantons. Energy and ore resources as well as salt are usually included therein.
Borehole data model	As a result of greater and more diverse utilization of the subsurface, administrative and public circles are increasingly focusing on our knowledge about the subsurface. Borehole data from drilling operations are one of the main sources of the relevant information. Therefore the Swiss Geological Survey, in collaboration with representatives from the federal government, cantons, private sector and universities, developed the “borehole data model" as the first recommendation for structuring basic digital borehole data.

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Construction site	The construction site is to be evaluated, described and investigated in detail for the professional execution of construction projects.
CO2 sequestration	With CO2 capture and sequestration, carbon dioxide is separated from combustion exhaust gases and subsequently indefinitely stored without using containers, in deep underground rock layers. The technology is currently still in the developmental stage.
Culture	Dimension stone as building material, utensils and carriers of messages are part of our culture: the oldest cultural artifacts are similarly from stone, just as the products of today’s artists or engineers.
Construction & technology
Catalogs	Are you looking for geodata on geology or the environment? Here you will find access to various metadata catalogs for Switzerland, Europe or other countries.
Checklists	Checklists, sample table of contents, sample reports, job tools – such standards are provided as recommendations in different geological spheres. Following them complies with good professional practice.

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Deep repository	In Switzerland, radioactive waste will in the future be disposed of in deep geological repositories. These are situated located several hundred meters below the surface of the Earth in geologically stable rock layers. Geodata documents the federal governments sectoral plan procedure.
Data Viewer	Is the Piz Bernina map sheet already printed? On what type of ground is my house standing? You can find the answer to these and other questions in the «Topic Geology» of swisstopo’s Viewer “map.geo.admin.ch”.
Data models	In general, a model depicts the very complex reality. In order to enable this depiction, the reality must be generalized and idealized.

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Energy supply	Switzerland’s energy supply results largely from the import of fossil fuels. To reduce her CO2 emissions and become more independent on foreign countries, Switzerland must rely on energy efficiency and renewable energies. Geothermal energy could play a decisive role in this process as a geological energy source.
Energy
Earthquakes	Earthquakes are caused by stresses in the Earth’s interior which built up by the movement of the Earth’s crustal plates relative to one another. If these stresses become too large then a fracture occurs, whereby the rock masses suddenly jerkily move past each other.
Energy resources	Switzerland has a high per capita consumption of energy resources. Its energy requirements are covered by various sources: fossil fuels such as combustibles and motor fuels make up the largest portion thereof.
Experience Geology	At the “Erlebnis Geologie“ (Experience Geology) events, Swiss geologists from universities, museums, public offices and private industry provide the general public with interesting insights into their areas of expertise. The knowledge of how many areas of geology influence our daily lives has been fascinating all visitors since the start of the event series in 2007.
Experience	Whether for children or adults: museums, show mines, geoparks or geological trails offer numerous opportunities to be inspired by geology. Here you will find a selection of what is on offer.

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Fundamentals of geology

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Groundwater	Groundwater is an important indigenous resource. It is a central element of the natural water cycle and feeds valuable habitats. An integral groundwater conservation is indispensable for conservation of groundwater resources.
Geothermal energy	Geothermal energy – energy from the earth’s interior – is today already widely used in Switzerland. The potential for the future is enormous.
Geotechnics & engineering geology	Geotechnical engineering combines elements of earth science, construction and mining. Tunneling projects, slope stabilization or site investigations are typical areas of application.
Geological cartography	Geological maps display a multitude of geologically relevant information in a concise manner. They are an important basis for geotechnical and environmental decisions. .
Geophysics	Geophysics deals with all of the Earth’s relevant physical phenomena. It includes various fields and can be subdivided according to research methods and their relevant applications.
Geological hazards
Geology in everyday life
Geology-relevant data	So that the widest possible audience has access to geology-relevant data, the Swiss Geological Survey published an overview in book form.
Geological 3D models	Geological 3D models provide a clear insight into the subsurface and thereby depict complex relationships in an understandable way.
Geology lexicon	Numerous databases and lexica about geology can be found in the internet and in book form.
Geotopes	Geotopes are natural geoscientific monuments worthy of protection: spatially constrained parts of the geosphere of geological, geomorphological or geo-ecological importance. Depending on whether the formative processes are complete or still in progress, they are then static or active geotopes.
Geological hiking trails	Geotourism develops, promotes and commercializes special geological landscape features. Professionals and lay people can experience and understand developments in earth science on geological trails, in geoparks, show caves, geotopes or at events such as “Erlebnis Geologie”.
Geology data model	The geology data model forms the foundation for national uniformly structured geological vector data sets.

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Hydrology	Water shapes the character of landscapes and natural ecosystems. It is a significant basic need for the population and for numerous economic sectors in Switzerland. Hydrological data allow observation of the water balance.
Health	The risk of lung cancer increases when radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, accumulates in rooms. Based on recent scientific evidence, the Federal Council in 2011 adopted the “National Action Plan concerning Radon 2012-2020”.

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Industrial minerals	Industrial minerals are minerals or rocks that are important for technical processes and applications in industry. Unlike ores, which are converted into metals by smelting, industrial minerals can be used in their natural state or after minimal beneficiation.

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Lookup	Diverse information provided compactly and simply – that is the requirement of the Geology Portal. Experience more e.g., about the geology of Switzerland, data models or software that simplifies the daily routine of geologists.
Learning	Here you will find a range of websites that offer virtual learning platforms or material for schools and teachers.
Look at	Below can be found a selection of web-based image databases, image archives and maps in the field of geology or earth sciences. This collection does not claim to be complete.

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Mines & history of mining	In Switzerland, ores and other mineral resources were already being extracted by mining methods 3500 years ago. There has been no mining activity in this country since 1967 – there is however an interest in its history.
Mineral resources
Metadata	Metadata (“data about data“) refers to structured data that describes an information resource and thus make these easier to find. In this way information from the properties of an object are also referred to as metadata.

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Natural pollution	Pollution is understood to mean the natural or anthropogenic pollution of the living environment by polluting Nature with harmful substances such as toxins, microorganisms and radioactive substances. Man is exposed to both cosmic as well as terrestrial natural radiation. The so-called terrestrial radiation level is registered with a variety of methods.

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Ores	Since the Bronze Age, the mining and extraction of naturally occurring ores are of great importance for mankind. In Switzerland however, the mining of ores nowadays can no longer be operated economically.
Overview of geological software	Geologists are dependent on support from numerous software applications for their daily work. Besides the classic Office applications, a multitude of specialized applications enable the useful analysis and representation of geological data sets.

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Planning for the future

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Quaternary geology	The Quaternary is the most recent period in the Earth’s history: the last 2.6 million years. It is marked by the appearance of man as well as repeated glacial/interglacial cycles, which strongly influenced the mountains and their environment.

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Rockfall, landslides, debris flows	Mass movements (gravitational natural hazards) are downslope directed displacements of solid and/or loose rocks as well as soil material. As falling processes, they can occur quickly and suddenly. Landslides on the other hand, are slow, continuous processes.
Resource monitoring	Statistical data on mineral resources, mineral or raw material industries and material cycles in Switzerland (qualitative, quantitative and economic) are collected and interpreted through resource monitoring
Rocks & soils	The rocks and soils are an important commodity group for Switzerland. This includes raw materials for the brick-and-tile industry, lime and marl for the binder material industry, gravels and sands as well as dimension stone and rock for construction purposes.
Revision service	Are there any changes, errors or additions that have not yet been included in our maps or geodata? Share your input with us using the geodata viewer at map.swisstopo.admin.ch – via your smartphone if you’re on the go or simply from your computer at home.
Regulations, guidelines and standards	Geologists are required to perform work according to professional standards that are defined in technical documentation, guidelines, acts and regulations.

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Stratigraphy	As a geological discipline, stratigraphy deals with the spatial location and temporal sequence of rock bodies. By means of stratigraphy, bodies of rock are dated and correlated with each other.
Seismic Atlas	The Swiss Plateau makes up about a third of the surface of Switzerland and consists mainly of the Molasse basin. Slightly more than two thirds of Switzerland’s population lives here. The Seismic Atlas of the Swiss Molasse Basin serves as an important foundation for geological projects.
Statistics	Here you will find data analyses on geological topics in Switzerland. The Swiss Geotechnical Commission (SGTK) is currently building up a raw materials monitoring program together with the Swiss Geological Survey.
Shops & Downloads	Are you interested in geology-relevant data, topographic or geological maps? Are you looking for an unpublished geological report or a scientific publication? Here you can find the most important suppliers..
Stratigraphic committee
Stratigraphic lexicon	The Lithostratigraphic Lexicon of Switzerland describes the lithostratigraphic units occurring in Switzerland. It is a convenient reference work for geologists from academia and industry.

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Tectonics / Structural geology	Enormous forces have always been at work inside our Earth. They continuously deform the Earth’s crust and affect its structural composition. Tectonic maps show how Switzerland is geologically constructed.
Tunneling	The rock mass must be described and investigated in detail for the professional project planning and execution of underground structures. Here geologists and engineers must work closely together.

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Underground planning	The deep subsurface is being exploited more and more. The underground planning project group of the Swiss Association of Geologists (CHGEOL) is campaigning in this field for sustainable concepts which are based on geological knowledge. In addition, they are investigating where there is a need for regulations in order to avoid conflicts in the utilization

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Water
Water & ice	Whether fluid or frozen: water can cause a variety of natural hazards
Wine	The system “rock – weathering – soil – vine – wine” is complex: climate and weather influence the quality of a wine – for the character however, the underlying rock, from which the vine obtains nutrients and water, also plays an important role.

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3D Geology	3D geological models provide a key solutions approach for infrastructure, urban and landscape planning. Spatial representation offers many advantages.

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Fundamentals of geology

Which disciplines belong to geology? Who deals with the deep subsurface, with the structure and history of the Earth? Where are physical or chemical properties, surface processes or the interaction with the environment of importance?

Hammer, field book and hand specimens of rock — The geologists’ traditional tools of the trade: hammer, field book and hand specimens of rock
© Greg van der Bleeken

Gain an overview: Here you will find the basic information about geophysics, through to hydrogeology and paleontology. Learn more about the goals, issues and working methods of the various disciplines. And if you want to know more: we also provide databases and contact addresses for you on our website.

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Fundamentals of geology