Syllabus of Combined Geo-Scientist (Main) Examination

Stage-II (Descriptive Type)

Geology : Paper-II

Section A. Mineralogy
Symmetry, motif, Miller indices; concept of unit cell and Bravais lattices; 32
crystal classes; types of bonding, Pauling’s rules and coordination polyhedra;
crystal imperfections- defects, twinning and zoning; polymorphism,
pseudomorphism, isomorphism and solid solution; physical properties of
minerals; polarising microscope and accessory plate; optical properties of
minerals- double refraction, polarisation, pleochroism, sign of elongation,
interference figure and optic sign; structure, composition, physical and optical
properties of major rock-forming minerals- olivine, garnet, aluminosilicates,
pyroxene, amphibole, mica, feldspar, clay, silica and spinel group.
Section B. Geochemistry and isotope geology
Chemical composition and characteristics of atmosphere, lithosphere,
hydrosphere; geochemical cycles; meteorites- types and composition;
Goldschmidt’s classification of elements; fractionation of elements in
minerals/rocks; Nernst’s partition coefficient (compatible and incompatible
elements), Nernst-Berthelot partition coefficient and bulk partition coefficient;
Fick’s laws of diffusion and activity composition relation (Roult’s and Henry’s
law); application of trace elements in petrogenesis; principles of equilibrium and
Rayleigh fractionation; REE patterns, Eh and pH diagrams and mineral
stability.
Half-life and decay equation; dating of minerals and rocks with potassiumargon,
rubidium-strontium, uranium-lead and samarium-neodymium isotopes;
petrogenetic implications of samarium-neodymium and rubidium-strontium
systems; stable isotope geochemistry of carbon, oxygen and sulphur and their
applications in geology; monazite chemical dating.
Section C. Igneous petrology
Viscosity, temperature and pressure relationships in magmas; IUGS
classification of plutonic and volcanic rocks; nucleation and growth of minerals
in magmatic rocks, development of igneous textures; magmatic evolution
(differentiation, assimilation, mixing and mingling); types of mantle melting
(batch, fractional and dynamic); binary (albite-anorthite, forsterite-silica and
diopside-anorthite) and ternary (diopside-forsterite-silica, diopside-forsteriteanorthite
and nepheline-kalsilite-silica) phase diagrams and relevance to
magmatic crystallization; petrogenesis of granites, basalts, ophiolite suite,
komatiites, syenites, boninites, anorthosites and layered complexes, and
alkaline rocks (carbonatite, kimberlite, lamproite, lamprophyre); mantle
metasomatism, hotspot magmatism and large igneous provinces of India.
Section D. Metamorphic petrology
Limits and physico-chemical controls (pressure, temperature, fluids and bulk
rock composition) of metamorphism; concept of zones, facies, isograds and
facies series, geothermal gradients and tectonics of orogenic belts; structures,
micro-structures and textures of regional and contact metamorphic rocks;
representation of metamorphic assemblages (ACF, AKF and AFM diagrams);
equilibrium concept in thermodynamics; laws of thermodynamics, enthalpy,
entropy, Gibb’s free energy, chemical potential, fugacity and activity; tracing the
chemical reactions in P-T space, phase rule and mineralogical phase rule in
multi-component system; Claussius-Clapeyron equation and slopes of
metamorphic reactions; heat flow, diffusion and mass transfer; Fourier’s law of
heat conduction; geothermobarometry; mass and energy change during fluidrock
interactions; charnockite problem, formation of skarns, progressive and
retrogressive metamorphism of pelitic, calcareous and basic rocks; P-T-t path
and tectonic setting.
Section E. Geodynamics
Phase transitions and seismic discontinuities in the Earth; seismic waves and
relation between Vp, Vs and density; seismic and petrological Moho; rheology of
rocks and fluids (Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids); rock magnetism and
its origin; polarity reversals, polar wandering and supercontinent cycles;
continental drift, sea floor spreading; gravity and magnetic anomalies of ocean
floors and their significance; mantle plumes and their origin; plate tectonicstypes
of plate boundaries and their inter-relationship; heat flow and heat
production of the crust.