Duration
20h Th, 6d FW
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The objective of the course is to understand the geological evolution of Wallonia through the integration of field observations and cartographic, stratigraphic, sedimentological, and tectonic data. This should provide an overall understanding of the evolution of Wallonia from the perspectives of paleogeography, depositional environments, observed lithologies, and useful raw materials.
Each field excursion focuses on a particular aspect of Wallonia's subsurface geology. The excursions are essential, as they enable students to progress from "knowing the geology of Wallonia" to being able to reason like a geologist based on field observations. These field days should also allow to think at different spatial and temporal scales.
The theoretical course is structured as follows:
1. Introduction (how to understand the geology of Wallonia, geological structure of Wallonia, general information on sedimentary successions)
2. From the Cambrian to the Silurian: the Caledonian cycle in Wallonia
3. From the Devonian to the Carboniferous: the Variscan cycle in Wallonia
4. From the Permian to the Quaternary: Post-orogenic Wallonia
The field excursions are organized as follows:
1. The Caledonian cycle and deep-water deposits (Vielsalm region)
2. The Lower Devonian and deposits at the transition between shallow marine and continental environments (Huy and Ninglinspo regions)
3. The Middle and Upper Devonian and reef deposits (Philippeville and Namur regions)
4. The Carboniferous, marine ramp deposits, and coal (Dinant region or Sprimont region)
5. The Cretaceous and chalk (Visé-Maastricht region)
6. Geology of Liège and building stones
The course includes various individual and group assignments carried out throughout the semester in the classroom. Some assignements are also asked through the semester and specific time in the 20h theory are dedicated for these assignmenents.
During the field trips, keeping a field notebook is mandatory, and students are required to take notes. These notes are checked after each excursion, and students receive a grade for each field trip (except for the first excursion, which is intended to help students better understand what is expected of them).
After the final field trip on the geology of Liège, students must complete an assignment involving the identification of building stones used in the city and relating their observations to the theoretical content of the course.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Knowledge
By the end of the course, the student will be able to:
- Describe the main geological units of Wallonia and place them within the geological framework of Western Europe.
- Present the major stages of the geological history of Wallonia, from the Paleozoic to the Quaternary.
- Identify the principal stratigraphic units and characterize their age, lithology, and depositional environment.
- Explain the evolution of sedimentary environments and the paleogeography of Wallonia through time.
- Describe the main tectonic structures of Wallonia and explain their relationship to the regional tectonic history.
- Explain the origin of certain geological resources and their connection to the geological history of the region.
- Identify the main geological formations that may be associated with geological hazards, particularly karst phenomena.
Practical Skills
The student will be able to:
- Recognize and describe the main rocks and geological structures observed in the field and integrate these observations into a broader geological framework.
- Construct a simplified geological map or stratigraphic representation of the geology of Wallonia.
- Produce a simplified geological cross-section and propose an interpretation of it.
- Place a field observation within its stratigraphic, paleogeographic, and tectonic context.
- Relate lithology, depositional environment, and paleogeographic evolution.
- Integrate observations from different sites to reconstruct regional geological evolution.
- Use geological data to identify areas with particular potential for geological resources or geological hazards.
Soft Skills
The student will be able to:
- Develop a reasoning approach based on the observation and interpretation of geological data.
- Distinguish between observations, interpretations, and hypotheses in geological analysis.
- Integrate information from different sources and at different scales.
- Reason simultaneously in both spatial and temporal dimensions.
- Build a coherent interpretation from partial geological observations.
- Synthesize complex information in the form of maps, cross-sections, stratigraphic columns, and diagrams.
- Justify a geological interpretation and identify its limitations.
- Develop good fieldwork practices.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
GEOL0018-1 Sédimentologie et pétrologie sédimentaire
or
GEOL0006-4 Roches et processus sédimentaire
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The theoretical lectures (20 hours) are based on a variety of teaching methods, including traditional lectures (using both the blackboard and PowerPoint presentations), group work, and in-class exercises. Some content will be studied by students in advance through a flipped classroom approach, with the time required for this preparatory work allocated within the course schedule.
Field days are each devoted to a specific geological period and theme (for example, the Frasnian and reef sedimentation; the Ordovician and basin sedimentation; etc.). A synthesis excursion presents the different materials used in the region's built heritage. Some individual assignments will also be required in connection with certain field excursions.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
Face-to-face and field work
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
The slides will be available on eCampus after each lecture.
Textbook :
BOULVAIN, F. & PINGOT, J-L., 2015. Genèse du sous-sol de la Wallonie. Classe des Sciences, Académie royale de Belgique, 208 pp.
BOULVAIN, F., BERTOLA, C. & DA SILVA, A.C., Pierres et Marbres en Wallonie reconnaissance et genèse. 2e édition revue et augmentée. Académie Royale de Belgique, Editions l'Académie en poche
https://www.rejouisciences.uliege.be/upload/docs/application/pdf/2025-10/corr_sept25-beta.pdf
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam AND oral exam
Further information:
The assessment focuses on the student's ability to apply and integrate the knowledge acquired during the course and field activities. The questions require students to connect multiple areas of geology in order to develop a coherent interpretation of a geological situation.
The assessment is primarily based on a written examination consisting of five questions. Students also have the opportunity to defend one question orally, either to clarify their understanding in cases of uncertainty or to demonstrate the breadth of their knowledge. In addition, students must identify a rock that was encountered during the field trips and place it within the broader context of the geology of Wallonia.
The final grade is weighted as follows:
Grades obtained for the field notebooks throughout the academic year (marked by the teaching assistant): /10
Assignment on the geology of building stones in Liège: /10
Written examination and possible oral discussion: /50
Rock identification and geological contextualization: /10
Participation in the field trips is mandatory (except in cases of a valid medical certificate), and students who are absent without a certificate will not be permitted to sit the examination.
The assignment on the building stones in Liège is also mandatory.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
A.C. Da Silva
SediCClim, Bât. B20, 4000 Liège 1 (Sart Tilman)
Tél. : 04/366.22.58 - e-mail : ac.dasilva@uliege.be
Assistante: Laura Darimont Laura.Darimont@uliege.be
Secrétariat: Mme J. Schmetz, Tél. : 04/366.22.51 - joelle.schmetz@uliege.be