Mining Engineering
Exploration and Geology
MINING & MINERALS EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGY (Physical Geology)
Earth materials and processes: rocks, minerals, weathering and the landscape they produce.
- Duration
- 5 days
- Contact hours
- 30
- Level
- Intermediate
- Fee from
- On enquiry
Overview
The physical geology module of the exploration technology series, and the foundation the others stand on. It covers the Earth's structure and the rock cycle, mineral identification by physical property, how igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks form, and the surface processes that weather and transport them. Map and section reading is practised throughout, because a geologist who cannot read a map is working blind.
Who should attend
Exploration trainees and technicians, geoscience students, and technical staff who need geological literacy for their own discipline.
What you will be able to do
- Describe the Earth's internal structure and the rock cycle.
- Identify common minerals and rocks by physical property.
- Explain the formation processes behind each rock class.
- Relate weathering and erosion to the landforms they produce.
- Read a geological map and construct a simple cross section.
How it is taught
Short input, then work, across 5 days of roughly 6 teaching hours each. Exercises run on situations delegates bring rather than on a case study written for a different organisation. Cohorts are capped so that everybody is asked something.
Available as classroom, live online, in house.
Programme outline
Day 1
The Earth
- Internal structure and plate tectonics in outline
- The rock cycle
- Geological time and relative dating
Day 2
Minerals
- Crystal form, cleavage, hardness and lustre
- The rock forming mineral groups
- Identification practice on hand specimens
Day 3
Rocks
- Igneous rocks and their textures
- Sedimentary rocks and their environments
- Metamorphic rocks and grade
Day 4
Surface processes
- Weathering, chemical and physical
- Erosion, transport and deposition
- Landforms, and their geological meaning
Day 5
Maps and sections
- Map conventions, strike and dip
- Constructing a cross section
- Field notebook discipline
What you leave with
- A hand specimen identification set completed.
- A geological map interpretation with a cross section.
- A field notebook standard you can keep using.
Dates and fees
| Dates | Location | Format | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 to 27 November 2026 | Cape Town, South Africa | Classroom | R15,000 |
| 30 November 2026 to 4 December 2026 | Nicosia, Cyprus | Classroom | US$1,500 |
| 7 to 11 December 2026 | Durban, South Africa | Classroom | R15,000 |
| 14 to 18 December 2026 | Nairobi, Kenya | Classroom | US$1,500 |
Fees are per delegate and cover tuition, all programme materials and the certificate. Travel, accommodation and visas are arranged by the delegate. Registration closes two weeks before a programme starts.
Certificate
A GATI certificate recording what was attended, issued after the programme has run and attendance has been taken. Attending at least 80 per cent of the days earns a certificate of completion; attending less earns a certificate of attendance stating exactly what was attended. Every certificate carries a code that anybody can check against GATI's own record.
It records participation. and GATI does not claim one it does not hold.