About BetterGeo

Igneous rocks

Rock types formed when magma or lava from different levels of the Earth’s crust cool and crystallize.

Andesite

Andesite is an igneous rock which can be found together with diorite, granite and gabbro.

Function: Building block.

Basalt

Basalt is found in the oceanic crust under the sea, either as a smooth layer directly under the oceans or with gabbro on top. Copper can be found in basalt (which partly replaces the former block of red stone ore).

Function: Building block, source of copper.

Diorite

Diorite is an igneous rock which can be found together with andesite, granite and gabbro.
Function: Building block.

Gabbro

Gabbro is mostly found in the oceanic crust under the sea, but can be found in some environments on continental crust. Gabbro is found under layers of sedimentary rocks, granite and gneiss. You can also find blocks of gabbro with titanium and copper.

Function: Building block, source of copper and titanium (gabbro with copper is one of the new blocks that replace the former block red stone ore).

Granite

Granite is placed in sustained masses with various sizes and at various depths below ground. You can find granite in mountains, e.g. underlying other rock types. Granite is often abundant near gneiss and is found in the continental crust (the continental crust is present on land and can continue under the oceans). Caves can be found in granite. It is a source of cordierite and feldspar.

Function: Building block, is one of the sources of cordierite and feldspar.

Pumice

Pumice floats on the water surface in reality and of course it does in this mod too. If you drop your pumice blocks in water it will float and if the water is moving, the pumice blocks will move in the same direction as the water. Also, if you put two pumice blocks next to each other in water, they will break. So be careful if you use pumice as a building block.

Function: Building block.

Metamorphic rocks

Rock types that have undergone changes in minerology, texture, and/or chemical composition in a substantially solid state as a result of heat and/or pressure.

Gneiss

Gneiss, a metamorphic rock formed from limestone, is placed in sustained masses with various sizes and various depths. You can find gneiss in the continental crust and in mountains, often close to granite sequences and with other rock types above. You can also find gneiss under the oceans (the continental crust continues from land and under the ocean). Caves can be found in gneiss.

Function: Building block, is one of the sources of cordierite.

Marble

Marble (the metamorphic equivalent of limestone) is found adjacent to banded iron formations (BIFs), other metamorphic rocks (e.g. schist) or by itself in big masses underground. It can also be found in the contact zones where skarn is present. You will be able to extract zinc from marble since it contains sphalerite (a zinc-bearing mineral). You will also find the blue rock type lapius lazuli in some marble blocks.
Function: Building block, source of sphalerite and lapis lazuli.

Schist

Schist (the metamorphic equivalent of shale) is placed deep down in the continental crust along with other metamorphic rocks.

Function: Building block.

Skarn

Skarn can be found at deeper depths in the crust and is often seen as the contact surface between limestone, marble and granite. Skarn is the new iron and copper ores, and replace the former blocks of iron ore and red stone ore.

Function: Building block. Skarn is one of the bigger sources of metals in the mod (e.g. iron, rare earth elements, tungsten and copper).

Sedimentary rocks

Rock types that are formed in low-temperature and low-pressure environments through the compaction and solidification or precipitation (cementation) of sediments, rock fragments and minerals that have been transported and deposited on the surface of the Earth.

Alum shale

Alum shale is a special type of shale which can be used as fuel.

Function: Building block, fuel

Banded Iron Formation (BIF)

Banded Iron Formation (BIF) is found in masses or single blocks next to other sedimentary rocks like shale, limestone and sandstone, but also near marble. Banded iron formations are one of the new iron ores and replace the former iron ore blocks from Vanilla. By mining banded iron formations you will get iron – an important resource for some of the new recipes! You will be able to track iron by using the magnetic compass. The compass will react when you are less than 20 blocks away from an iron source.
Function: Building block, source of iron.

Limestone

Limestone occurs in horizontal layers of mountains and below ground above metamorphic and igneous rock types, together with shale or sandstone in a “Grand Canyon inspired” stratigraphy. Limestone is like sandstone one of the new coal ores and replaces the former coal ore blocks.

Function: Building block, source of coal.

Sandstone

Sandstone occurs in horizontal layers of mountains and when below ground can be found above metamorphic and igneous rock types, together with limestone or shale in a “Grand Canyon inspired” stratigraphy. Sandstone already exists in Vanilla, but we have added coal to some sandstone blocks and hence it is now a new source of coal (replacing the former coal ore blocks). We have also given the sandstone blocks a new more realistic colour.

Function: Building block, source of coal.

Shale

Shale occurs in horizontal layers in mountains and below ground above metamorphic and igneous rock types, together with limestone or sandstone in a “Grand Canyon inspired” stratigraphy.

Function: Building block.

Fossils

Fossils can be found in sedimentary rocks, with a little luck!

Veins and pipes

Veins and pipes are formed when magma intrudes lateral and vertical fracture zones and other weak points in the host rock. This can happen near spreading zones between tectonic plates and rift systems etc.

Veins and pipes are exciting geological features in this mod! They are visible from the ground level by the soil surface. They vary in length, width and direction and do not occur in oceanic crust under the sea (in reality they can but we have simplified it in this mod so you can only find them in the continental crust on land).

Diabase

Diabase is an intrusive rock type pictured as veins in this mod.

Function: Building block.

Kimberlite

Kimberlite is an igneous rock type that can be found in pipes in this mod. Some of the kimberlite pipes contain diamonds. The former diamond ore block is replaced with blocks of kimberlite with diamonds in this mod.

Function: Building block and source of diamonds.

Pegmatite

Pegmatite is an intrusive rock type that can be found as veins in this mod. Blocks of pegmatite can weather after some time if placed by the player. Pegmatite is a really important resource for minerals and metals, such as tin and lithium.

Function: Building block and contains several resources: garnet, aquamarine, tantalum, tourmaline, emerald, feldspar, tin and lithium.

Quartz

Quartz is a common mineral in reality as well as in this mod. Quartz is found in veins, sometimes bearing gold or gold and silver together. The former gold ore block is replaced by quartz with gold in this mod.
Function: Building block, source of gold and silver.

Soil types

BetterGeo introduces different soil types to the game. The soils have different properties, such as hard/softness, and ability to cultivate crops.

Bauxite

Bauxite is an aluminum rich soil type formed in tropical environments as a result of chemical weathering of underlying parent rocks. Bauxite in this mod is placed in big and sustained masses above granite and adjacent to or surrounded by limestone, shale or gneiss in tropical environments. Bauxite is one of the larger sources of aluminum both in reality and in this mod.

Function: Source of aluminum, which will be used for making the jet pack.

Glacial erratic

Glacial erratic are huge boulders that have been broken off from bedrock and are transported by glaciers or inland ice sheets. The boulder travels in the direction of the ice flow until the ice melts, leaving the boulder in the terrain. Glacial erratic can have a different composition than the surrounding rock where they are found.

Pebbles

Pebbles are the accumulation of gravel and therefore are referred to as a sorted soil. Waves of water have sorted out pebbles from other material such as sand or clay leaving only the gravel. Shingle sometimes marks the Highest coastline (HK), i.e. the highest level that the water reached after the inland ice sheet melted away.

Till

Till is the result of the grinding and displacement of rock and soil by an inland ice sheet and can be found in many biomes. Till replaces dirt.

Clay-rich till

Just like regular till, clay-rich till is the result of the grinding and displacement of rock and soil by an inland ice sheet. This type of till is relatively rare and is found in areas of easily eroded sedimentary rocks such as limestone, shale and sandstone. Clay-rich till has a high proportion of clay particles (over 15 percent) and is suitable for cultivation. Clay-rich till replaces dirt.

Boulder till

Just like regular till, boulder till is the result of the grinding and displacement of rock and soil by an inland ice sheet. This type of till contains, as the name suggests, a remarkable amount of boulders, often with a diameter greater than 1m. The abundance of boulders make areas with boulder till difficult to dig or pass through with most vehicles. This type of till is not suitable for cultivation. Boulder till replaces dirt.

Weathered tropical soil

Weathered tropical soil is formed in jungle biomes. It replaces dirt.

Gemstones

Gemstones are rock types, minerals, pearls, corals or amber which, after certain treatment (e.g. splitting or polishing), become attractive and are often kept as personal possessions.

Except diamonds and emeralds that you already get in Vanilla, there are several new gemstones in this mod. By putting nine pieces of the same gemstone together in the crafting table you will get a block.

Function: Colorful building blocks, decoration and as part in some of the recipes.

Aquamarine

Aquamarine is a blue mineral that can be found in pegmatite blocks.

Cordierite

Cordierite is a mineral that can be found in granite and gneiss.

Garnet

Garnet is a mineral that can be found in pegmatite blocks.

Topaz

Topaz is a mineral that can be found in pegmatite blocks.

Tourmaline

Tourmaline is a mineral that can be found in pegmatite blocks.

Metals and other resources

Metals and other resources like minerals are found in the soil or bedrock in different environments. We can extract them and produce several products that we need in our everyday life. We have introduced a lot of metals and other resources in this mod since they play such a big part in our society. We want to emphasize this and make you aware of where these resources originate.

Aluminum (Al)

Aliminum is a base metal that can be found in bauxite.
Function: Is part of the recipe for the jet pack.

Coal (C) 

Coal is one of the elements in Vanilla that could be found in coal ores, but in this mod coal is found in limestone and sandstone.

Function: Fuel.

Copper (Cu)

Copper is a base metal that is found in blocks of skarn, basalt and gabbro, which are new copper ore blocks and replace the former block red stone ore. You will be able to track copper since the flower Alpine Cathchfly (Lychnis alpina) can be used as an indicator of copper deposits in the nearby ground.

Function: Copper will be used in alloys (brass, bronze and steel), the magnetic compass, the monster warning system and the battery charger.

Feldspar

Feldspar is a mineral that occurs as a resource in granite, gneiss and pegmatite.
Function: Is used as a building block for the melting furnace.

Gold (Au)

Gold is a precious metal that can be found in quartz veins or by placer mining in rivers.

Iron (Fe)

Iron is a base metal that can be found in skarn and banded iron formations (BIFs), and these blocks replace the former iron ore block. Iron can be tracked by using the magnetic compass.
Functions: Iron will be used in recipes for e.g. steel, prospector’s pan, magnetic compass and batteries with lithium.

Lithium (Li)

Lithium is an alkali metal that can be found in pegmatite veins.

Function: Lithium can be widely used in the mod since the batteries require lithium. The batteries can be used in the heart starter, jet pack and monster warning system.

Rare Earth Elements (REEs)

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are elements that are found in small concentrations in the Earth’s crust. In reality the REEs are represented by 17 different elements. In the mod we have introduced six different REEs, but we have not given them their individual names. Instead, as a simplification, we call all of them as a group for REE and they are represented by different colours. In the mod the REEs can be found in skarn deep down in the crust and between different biomes (defined environments) where skarn is present.

Function: REEs are used in recipes for heart starter and battery charger.

Silver (Ag)

Silver is a precious metal that can be found in quartz veins where gold also is present.

Function: Is used for making the fire proximity suit.

Sphalerite

Sphalerite is a mineral that can be found in blocks of marble.
Function: Is used for making zinc ingots and brass alloys.

Tantalum (Ta)

Tantalum is a transition metal that can be found in pegmatite veins.
Function: Is used in the recipe for making the heart starter and the electrical conductivity meter.

Tin (Sn)

Tin is a metal that can be found in pegmatite veins.
Function: Is part of the recipe for brass and bronze alloys.

Titanium (Ti)

Titanium is a transition metal that can be found in gabbro.

Function: In recipes for heart-starter and jet pack.

Tungsten (W)

Tungsten is a transition metal that can be found in skarn.

Function: Is used in the process for making steel.

Placer deposits

Placer deposits are grains and fragments of gems and metals that have been transported from the source of origin, usually by streaming water, and are deposited by gravity through sedimentation. They can be found in sand and streaming water near the original source. It can be mined by placer mining where you use a prospector’s pan.

Weathering of limestone

Overtime, water breaks down limestone blocks through the process of erosion. This process is similar to reality where a chemical reaction between limestone and water can cause the limestone to dissolve in certain places.

Recipes

This section regroups the recipes for crafting the new items the mod introduces.

Alloy furnace

The alloy furnace is used for mixing different metals to make alloys. No waste slag is produced in this process. Fuel in the alloy oven is coal or a bucket of lava.
Composed by: One smeltery and three blocks of bricks.

Battery charger

Is used to charge the items in the game that uses a lithium battery. The battery charger is driven by solar power and hence it will only work during day time and when it is sunny. Items with a lithium battery such as the jet pack, heart starter and monster scanner can be plugged in to the charger.
Composed by: Three REE ingots, one day light sensor and three copper ingots.

Display cases

Show of your fancy gemstones and minerals with the display cases! There are three different kinds (brass, bronze and steel). You can display anything by right-clicking to put the item into the display case!
Composed by: 2 steel/brass/bronze, 1 glass.

Electrical conductivity meter

The electrical conductivity meter is used to find certain metals in BetterGeo. It is made with brass, copper, quartz, tantalum and a battery. It needs to be charged in the battery charger to be used.

Fire proximity suit

To work in dangerous environments you need the right equipment! The fire proximity suit gives you some protection from fire if all parts are worn. The golden visor gives you a yellow tint to your view (can be removed in config).

Composed by:

Helmet: Leather helmet + 1 silver ingot

Chestplate: Leather chestplate + 2 silver ingots

Legs: Leather legs + 2 silver ingots

Boots: Leather boots + 1 silver ingot

Flue gas cleaner

The flue gas cleaner prevents pollution from spreading from the smeltery. Install it on top of the smeltery. The flue gas cleaner catches ash and has to be taken out and replaced or cleaned regularly to operate safely. The ash can be smelted to get titanium.

Composed by: Six steel, two wool and one limestone dust.

Heart starter

If you lose all your hearts by dying or getting hurt during the game, the heart starter will allow you to continue and keep the possessions that you have found. The heart starter needs to be charged in the battery charger every time you want to use it!

Composed by: Two titanium ingots, two tantalum ingots, one lithium battery and one REE ingot.

Jet pack

The jet pack will enable you to fly around in the different gaming worlds (in survival mode). It is an exciting addition that allows for exploration and makes it easier to detect ores, veins and other resources. The jet pack works as long as the battery is charged, so to use it you must have a battery charger first. The charge is visible through a bar on screen when you have the jet pack on your back.
Composed by: Four aluminum ingots, two titanium ingots and one lithium battery.

Lithium batteries

Lithium batteries are used in several products, e.g. the heart starter, jet pack and monster scanner.
Composed by: Steel and one lithium ingot.

Function: Is used in the recipes for the electrical conductivity meter, the heart stater, the jet pack and the monster scanner.

Magnetic compass

Is a tool to help you localize iron ores. The magnetic compass will start to react when you are less than 20 blocks away from the ore. The closer you get to the ore, the bigger reaction from the compass.
Composed by: Four iron ingots and one copper ingot.

Metal boat

The metal boat is stronger than the wooden boat and can even travel on lava!
Composed by: 5 steel.

Monster scanner

The monster scanner can be used to detect monsters at a distance and is turned on/off by right clicking. The monster scanner has to be charged in the battery charger before you use it for the first time and then recharged once its gets low on energy.

Compose by: Two quarts blocks, two copper ingots, one piece of cordierite and one lithium battery.

Mulch

Mulch is a special block that acts as a fertiliser, and speeds up crop cultivation. It is made by peat, clay or clay-rich till, and compost (which is made by recycling food or rotten flesh in the recycling station).

Peat blocks

Peat blocks can be used in a garden or as a building block.

Polishing machine

The polishing machine is used to make polished blocks.
Composed by: 2 copper ingots, 2 bronze, 2 steel and 3 sandpaper.

Prospector's pan of wood

To pan gold and diamonds from sand in river biomes.
Composed by: Three wooden sticks.

Prospector’s pan of steel

To pan gold and diamonds from sand in river biomes. Lasts longer than the prospector's pan in wood.
Composed by: Three pieces of steel.

Recycle Station

The recycle station will recycle items you don't need any more! To recycle it needs fuel based on the melting point of the materials that you want to recycle. Wood will burn to charcoal and rocks to gravel. Food can be recycled to create Compost, which is used in Mulch.
Composed by: Four steel, two copper blocks and two pistons.

Sandpaper

Is used to polish blocks, slaps and stairs. The sand paper will work on the following rock types: gabbro, marble, granite, gneiss, diabase, limestone, quartz, shale and schist.

Composed by: a garnet, slime and a paper.

Smeltery

A smeltery is needed when you want to extract your metals from the ore and make them useful. Blocks/drops that you can put in to the smeltery in order to get pure ingots are: bauxite (for Aluminium), gabbro with titanium, gabbro with copper, iron from skarn and banded iron formations and sphalerite from marble. You need to put 8 pieces of each in the smeltery to make it start. Different amounts of waste slag will be produced during the process. You can put 10 slag pieces in the smeltery once more to extract more of the metal. You will also need various amounts of coal or buckets of lava as fuel. You can fill 1-3 slots in the oven for the extraction, which represents different energy levels for the process. The number of slots varies depending on which metal you want to extract.

The smeltery will also produce pollution in the form of ash! Build a Flue Gas Cleaner to stop the pollution.

Composed by: One oven and eigth pieces of feldspar.

Achievements and books

BetterGeo adds its own achievements and books about geology!

The new achievements can be seen in a separate window along with vanilla achievements.

BetterGeo also has an Education Edition! By finding new minerals, metals, rocks or soil types the player gets a book explaining more about the geology around the found object. The education edition is off by default and can be turned on in the mod options.

The books can be placed in book cases to earn achievements when completed. There are four book cases: rock, soil, mineral and metallurgy. They are created by a circle of wood and a mineral, soil, rock or metallurgically related item (ash, slag or any alloy) in the middle.