ASBOG FG PG study guide
ASBOG FG PG · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
ASBOG - the National Association of State Boards of Geology - is a national association of state geology licensing boards whose stated mission is "to promote the competent practice of geology by delivering rigorous licensure examinations, expanding license availability and mobility, and fostering academic training that protects public health, safety, and welfare." The Association administers the geology licensure examinations used by its member boards in regulated states, commonly referred to as the Fundamentals of Geology (FG) and Practice of Geology (PG) examinations. The FG exam is generally the entry-level examination for candidates completing or recently completing a geoscience degree; the PG exam is the practice-level examination tied to professional experience requirements set by the individual state board. The ASBOG FG PG study guide has 8 sections and about 2,315 words.
01General Geology and Earth Materials
The Earth is described two ways: compositionally (crust, mantle, core) and mechanically (lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere, outer core, inner core). The Mohorovičić discontinuity is the crust–mantle boundary, but the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary is a strength/creep transition that generally lies within the mantle.
277 words, about 1 min02Mineralogy, Petrology, and Geochemistry
Mineral identification uses crystal system, cleavage, hardness, specific gravity, luster, and optical properties. Silicate structures run from isolated tetrahedra (olivine) through single and double chains (pyroxene, amphibole) to sheets (micas, clays) and frameworks (quartz, feldspars); this progression tracks rising Si:O and generally lower density, and controls cleavage (micas = one perfect sheet cleavage; pyroxene = two at ~90°; amphibole = two at ~60°/120°).
285 words, about 1 min03Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, and Paleontology
Siliciclastic sediment is described by grain size (Wentworth scale), sorting, roundness, and maturity. Transport mode (traction, saltation, suspension) leaves structures: cross-bedding, ripples, horizontal lamination, graded bedding, mudcracks, and bioturbation.
271 words, about 1 min04Structural Geology and Tectonics
Stress is a tensor; the principal stresses are ordered σ1 ≥ σ2 ≥ σ3. Normal faults form with vertical σ1, reverse/thrust faults with horizontal σ1, and strike-slip faults with vertical σ2.
319 words, about 2 min05Geomorphology and Surficial Processes
Landscapes reflect weathering (physical, chemical, biological), erosion, transport, and deposition acting on uplifted rock. Mass wasting is classified by material (rock, debris, earth) and movement (fall, slide, flow, creep); slope stability is limited by a threshold angle set by friction and pore pressure.
296 words, about 1 min06Hydrogeology
Porosity is storage; permeability (hydraulic conductivity, K) is the ability to transmit water. An unconfined aquifer is bounded by a water table; a confined aquifer's potentiometric surface may lie above the top of the unit.
289 words, about 1 min07Engineering Geology and Geohazards
Index testing begins with grain size, Atterberg limits, and plasticity index (PI = LL − PL). The Unified Soil Classification System groups soils by grain size and plasticity, which informs compaction, compressibility, and strength.
307 words, about 2 min08Economic Geology and Energy Resources
Ore deposits are grouped by process: magmatic segregation (chromite, Ni–Cu, PGE), porphyry Cu–Mo–Au, skarn, volcanogenic massive sulfide, SEDEX, Mississippi Valley-type Pb–Zn, epithermal Au–Ag, orogenic gold, banded iron formation, laterite (Ni, bauxite), carbonatite REE, pegmatite (Li, Ta, Be), and placer deposits. A genetic model requires a source, a transporting fluid (chloride and bisulfide complexes carry metals), and a trap (boiling, cooling, mixing, pH change, reduction).
271 words, about 1 min