Structure of Geological

Report Writing

Abdel Halim H. El Nadi

ahnadi12@[Link]
ahnadi@[Link]
• NO ONE SCHEME IS EXCLUCLUSIVE.

• Because, that depends on the nature of

the Geological Mission.
• A comprehensive Version:
• Title Page.
• List of contents …. Etc.
• Abstract.
• Chaptering: Introduction …… etc.
• References.
• Appendix (Appendices, if there is more
than one Appendix).
 Title Page
• 1/ Geological Mapping and General
Prospecting of the Area West of Berber,
Eastern Bayuda Desert, N. Sudan.
• ( Language : west of Berber, eastern Bayuda
Desert, northern Sudan).
• 2/ Report on the Artisanal Gold Mining
Activities the Butans area ( or : on the
Deleterious Impact of Artisanal Activities),
East of Wadi Halfa Town, N. Sudan.
 Title Page (contd.)
• 3/ A Geological Trip to briefly investigate a Copper
Mineralization/ Sulphide Mineralization/Gold
Mineralization West of Mohammed Qol Village, NE
Sudan.
( Here you need a sketch geological map + Sampling
(GPS, for samples location).
• 4/ Geological Report on Gold Mineralization in
Block ??, North of El Obeid Town, West-central
Sudan.
By
• Ahmed Mahmoud Mohammed, OR
• Ahmed M. Mahmoud, Ali A, Hussein & Khalafalla I,
Ahmed.
• November, 2015
 List of Contents
• A/ List of Contents, List of Figures, List of Tables, List of
photos, List of photomicrographs.
• ALL TO BE WRITTEN AFTER COMPLETION OF THE
REPORT WRITING IN ROMAN NUMERATION.
• B/ Text contents.
• Note: i) List of figures includes: Maps,
diagrams/sketches, Graphs.
• ii) Each Fig, should have a number and a caption,
and it is usually written below the Figure,
• e.g. Fig. 1 Geological map of the Jebel El Dair- Jebel
Dumbeir area, northern Kordofan.
• Fig. 2. Sketch geological map of ……..
• Fig. 3. Graph showing ….. .
 List of Contents (contd.)
• C) List of Tables: Shall have a different serial number,
and the Table caption is usually written above the Table.
• D) List of Photos: Shall also have a different serial
number,
• e.g. Photo 1 View of sheared microdiorites at : (Locality,
coordinates).
• Photo 2. Trench across quartz vein No. 4 showing the
width of the vein and the alteration zone (Location).
• Note: 1) Maps, sketches should have a scale ( usually a
linear scale).
2) Cross- sections need scales (Vertical & horizontal),
directions, caption & key.
 List of Contents (contd.)
• 3) Photos should have a direction (e.g
viewed from east) and a scale: A colleague or
the driver or a labourer. If it is a distant or a
panoramic view: the car. If it is a close-up
view: The hammer, a pencil, a coin …etc .
• d) List of photomicrographs: Should
have a micro- scale.
• Note: All Figures, Tables, photographs,
photomicrographs ….. etc. should be quoted
in the text between brackets. E.g. text……
(Fig. 2).
 Abstract

• (To be written after the completion of the

Report).
• The Abstract : About two thirds of a printed
page (Font :12-14, Times New Roman). It
should not be longer than 200-250 words and
comprise the aim of the mission (objectives),
the methods, the findings (results), and their
interpretation. It should also include conclusions
and recommendations.
( ALL IN BRIEF)
 CHAPTERING
• CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION.
• CHAPTER TWO: REGIONAL GEOLOGY.
• ± CHAPTER THREE: DETAILED GEOLOGY.
• CHAPTER FOUR: GEOCHEMICAL RESULTS.
• CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS.
• REFERENCES.
• APPENDIX (APPENDICES).
 CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION.
1.1 Location and accessibility (with coordinates
and a Location Map).
1.2 Physiography: Climate, vegetation,
topography (Plains, ridges…. etc, DEM).
Drainage pattern (structurally controlled??),
Water Supply.
1.3 Objectives: Aim of the mission ( Geological
mapping [what scale? ] prospecting?: [what
type of samples and for what type of
mineralization?), exploration? what methods?
(Geochemical? Geophysical?, other?].
 INTRODUCTION (contd.)

1.4 Previous work:

e.g. Elsammani (1998) studied the
geochemistry of gold mineralization
in the Ariab area, NE Sudan.
• Another e.g.
• At least three phases of deformation
have been documented in the mission
area (Vail et al., 2000).
 INTRODUCTION (contd.)
1.5 Methodology:
• 1.5.1 Office Work:
• Collection of available maps: Topographic and
geological.
• Review of previous literature.
• Preparation of various colour composites to
enhance lithologies drainage, mineral and
hydrothermal alterations..
• Preparation of a preliminary geological map with
traverses and way points in it using Geo-
referenced landsat imagery covering the Mission
area , together with a GPS ( Fig. with number and
scale).
 INTRODUCTION (contd.)

• 1.5.2 Field Work:

• Duration:
• Execution of the geo-traverses: identification of rock
types, field relations, delineation of geological
boundaries, identification and measurements of
geological structures (folds, faults, foliation, bedding ….
Etc.), description of mineralization, if any.
• Geological boundaries, and geological structures such
as faults and foliation measurements can be plotted
directly during the geological traverse onto the hard
copies of the enhanced satellite image (Infra-red).
• Samples collection : Rock chips, soil, alluvium, clay.
CHAPTER TWO: REGIONAL GEOLOGY

± CHAPTER THREE: DETAILED

GEOLOGY
 Geology Chapters (contd.)
• 1/ Remarks on the role of the different
colour compsites on the lithologies
enhancements, and on the Hydrothermal/
Mineral composites (include these maps in
the report).
• 2/ Brief outline of the geology of the
mission area in a concise paragraph.
 Geology Chapters (contd.)
• 3/ Description of the major rock groups
from oldest to youngest in the light of a
generalized geological column
(characteristics on images, outcrop
appearance, relief, hand specimen, thin
section). The older layered rocks first, then
the plutonic rocks (Older and Younger),
then the hypabyssals (the dykes), then the
sedimentary rocks and superficial cover.
 Example of a geological column, Red Sea Hills (El Nadi, 1987)

ALKaline younger granite complexes Post-tectonic alkali granites syenites,

650-130 M.a. (1 and 5) gabbros, volcanics and related dykes
Calc-alkaline complexes, 700 M.a. (2) Late- to post- tectonic granite- gabbor
(?) Asoteriba volcanics, 669  24 M.a. (3). sassociation and (?) acid volcanics.
Batholithic granitoids 686  18 M.a. and Syn- to late- tectonic calc- alkaline tonalites,
669  20 M.a. (1) . granodiorites, granites, metagabbros and diorites.
Ophiolites. Complete and dismembered ophiolites e.g. Sol
Structural contact Hamid, Wadi Onib and SW Haiya.

Molasse- type sediments and intercalated Weakly deformed but unmetamorphosed

volcanics. mudstones, conglomerates, volcanogenic
Angular unconformity greyweackes and intercalated volcanics (Awat
Series).
Flysch – like metasediments. Siltstone, pure and impure limestone.
Nubian – arc – system metavolcanics, Basic to acid calc- alkaline metavolcanics
712 58 M.a. (4), 720 M.a. (2), (metavolcanics of Nafirdeib/Oyo,
832 26 M.a. (6). Homogar groups and (?) Asoteriba volcanics).
Structural contact
Low – grade volcanogenic metasediments. Metasediments of Nafirdeib/Oyo, Odi groups and
Structural contact other formations.
High – grade shelf metaseediments. Paragneisses, paraschists and amphibolites
(Kashebib Group).
? Granitic ortho – and paragneisses (not
Grey gneiss group 898 – 1050 M.a. (7 and 8). represented in Red Sea Hills).
 Structures, Metamorphism & G.
History
• Structures, metamorphism & G. History
• a) Structures:
• .Ductile structures 
 (foliation, schistosity and folds ) brittle structures
( faults , joints and fractures). 
Oldest structures first: sketches and
reference to maps and cross sections). 

folds :
• syncline, anticline, dimensions, trend and dip of axial plane,
plunge.
• faults
• length as mapped at the surface, Strike, dip, normal, reverse, dextral,
sinistral or oblique, displacement, field relations.
 Metamorphism & G. History
(contd.)
5/2 Metamorphism:
Metamorphic grade (high? Low?).
Metamorphic facies (greenschist?
Amphibolite? Granulite?).
5/3 Geological History:
 A brief history of the evolution of the
Mission area, from the oldest event to the
youngest event. 

 CHAPTER FOUR:
GEOCHEMICAL RESULTS
• Representation of the analytical results
in tables, graphs, histograms, with
discussion (High values, variations ,
correlations… etc.).
• Study of the polished sections, if any.
 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION
AND RECOMMENDATIONS
• Conclusion is essentially an extended
Abstract. It briefly restates the main
results (including the production of a
geological map and other findings).
• Recommendations:(Further mapping
of a selected part within the mission
area at a larger scale, geophysical
survey, more detailed grid sampling,
trenching, test pits ….. etc).
 REFERENCES
• 1/ Better adopt the Geological Society of London System
(Harvard System); alphabetically, e.g.
• A paper:
• El Nadi, A.H. 1989. Late Precambrian volcanism in NE
Sudan and the evolution of the Nubian Shield. Journal of
African Earth Sciences, Vol. 9, No. 34, pp. 467-480.
• A book:
• Vail, J.R. 1987b Lexicon of geological terms for the
Sudan, Balkema, Rotterdam.
• An edited Book:
• Gass, I.G. 1982. Upper Proterozoic (Pan-African) calc-
alkaline magmatism in north-eastern Africa and Arabia.
In: Andesites and related rocks (edited by Thorpe, R.S.),
591-609, J. Wiley & Sons, London.
 REFERENCES (contd.)
• A Thesis:
El Nadi, A.H. 1984. The geology of the late
Precambrian metavolcanics, Red Sea Hills, NE
Sudan. Ph.D thesis, Nottingham Univ. (Publ. 2013).
• A Conference:
• Hedge, C.E., Stern, R.J. and Davies, F.B. 1982.
Geochronology of the basement rocks along the
northern Red Sea Hills. Pan-African Crustal
Evolution in the Arabian-Nubian Shield
Symposium, IGCP 164., King Abdulaziz Univ.,
Jeddah, Research Series No. 13, Abstracts, P.53.
 REFERENCES (contd.)
• A Report:
• Putzer, H. 1956. Report on the occurrence of
Radio-active mineralization at Khor
Inderaikwan, Red Sea Hills, Geological
Researches Authority of Sudan (Formerly
Geological Survey) open files.
• A Map:
• Delany, F.M. 1953. Geological map. Eastern
Khartoum Province. Scale 1:250 000. 1st. ed.,
1952. Geol. Surv. Sudan.
• (Robertson Research (Year)……… Geological
Researches Authority of Sudan (GRAS).
 REFERENCES (contd.)
• Note: a) Personal communication should be within
the text and not on the Reference List, e.g. Text …
( El Nadi, 2000, [Link].).
• b) At the end of an Internet reference: You should
write the date and time of access.
• 2/ The Citation-Order System The sources are listed in
the order in which they are cited in the report.
e.g.,
• [1] S.H. Jenkins and P.E. Busher, "Castor
canadensis,"Mammalian Species. Vol. 20, Jan. 1979.
• Reference not seen (Y), but reported by (X):
• (Y, Yr …; quoted from X, Yr…)
 APPENDIX (APPENDICES).

• Results of geochemical analyses.

• Readings of structural elements…..
etc.
THANKS