Changes: Geology

Revision as of 07:26, 17 November 2011

The following description applies (unless otherwise stated) to a moon that is generated with the default (center) options.

Surface Features

Craters are fairly common, but are a bit hard to notice due to the need for a suitable vantage point.

A green astronaut uses to edge of a crater for cover. Two other craters (partially submerged) can be seen in the distance.

Underground Material Strata

The moon is composed primarily of five types of material: ice, soil (normal dirt and "surface dirt"), sand, gravel and basalt.

A hill viewed from the east (looking west). The hill and the ice to the left (south) are marked with red markers placed along a straight north-south line.

In this photo, everything east of the red markers has been excavated down to a depth of 14 blocks below "ground level".

Ice

Ice (also called Water) fills all areas whose solid surface would otherwise lie below "ground level"

Sand

Sand is light blueish-gray and is found below ice and near the base of hills. Its thickness is from one to three blocks (it will always be three blocks thick when found below ice).

Undisturbed Topsoil

The top layer (one block thick) of soil on hills has a texture that is light at the top and brown on the bottom. Though it looks different, when you mine it you get ordinary Dirt.

Soil

Ordinary soil is brown all the way through. This is found in a three-block thickness below the sand or topsoil layer.

Gravel

Gravel is an aggregate of shades of gray and brown. It is found in a five-block thick layer below the soil layer. Gravel inclusions are also found at deeper layers within basalt.

Basalt

Basalt is medium gray. It is found below the gravel layer and extends all the way down to the bottom of the world (63 blocks below "ground level").

Judging your depth

Because most of the layers (all but gravel) have a uniform thickness, you can often judge your distance below the surface while mining a tunnel.

Imagine mining a horizontal tunnel along the dotted yellow line.

If you see Sand, you are 1-3 blocks below ice or are very close to the surface (the sand next to a hill).

If you see Dirt, you are either 4-6 blocks below ice, or 1-4 blocks below the surface of a hill.

If you see Gravel, you might be 7-11 blocks below ice, or 5-9 blocks below the surface of a hill, but you might also be deeper.

If you see basalt, you are more than 11 blocks below ice, or more than 9 blocks below the surface of a hill.

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 In this photo, everything east of the red markers has been excavated down to a depth of 14 blocks below "ground level".
+===Ice===
-'''Ice''' (also called [[Water]]) fills all areas whose solid surface would otherwise lie below "ground level"
+Ice (also called [[Water]]) fills all areas whose solid surface would otherwise lie below "ground level"
-'''[[Sand]]''' is light gray and is found below ice and near the base of hills. Its thickness is from one to three blocks (it will always be three blocks thick when found below ice).
+===Sand===
-'''Undisturbed Topsoil''': the top layer (one block thick) of [[Dirt|soil]] on hills has a texture that is light at the top and brown on the bottom. Though it looks different, when you mine it you get ordinary [[Dirt]].
+[[Sand]] is light blueish-gray and is found below ice and near the base of hills. Its thickness is from one to three blocks (it will always be three blocks thick when found below ice).
-'''Soil''': Ordinary [[Dirt|soil]] is brown all the way through. This is found in a three-block thickness below the sand or topsoil layer.
+===Undisturbed Topsoil===
-'''[[Gravel]]''' is an aggregate of shades of gray and brown. It is found in a five-block thick layer below the soil layer. Gravel inclusions are also found at deeper layers within basalt.
+The top layer (one block thick) of [[Dirt|soil]] on hills has a texture that is light at the top and brown on the bottom. Though it looks different, when you mine it you get ordinary [[Dirt]].
-'''[[Rock|Basalt]]''' is medium gray. It is found below the gravel layer and extends all the way down to the bottom of the world (63 blocks below "ground level").
+===Soil===
+Ordinary [[Dirt|soil]] is brown all the way through. This is found in a three-block thickness below the sand or topsoil layer.
+===Gravel===
+[[Gravel]] is an aggregate of shades of gray and brown. It is found in a five-block thick layer below the soil layer. Gravel inclusions are also found at deeper layers within basalt.
+===Basalt===
+[[Rock|Basalt]] is medium gray. It is found below the gravel layer and extends all the way down to the bottom of the world (63 blocks below "ground level").
 ==Judging your depth==