DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS


Started in 1951, the Department of Geology and Geophysics offers advanced specializations and research opportunities in traditional, modern and applied areas of Earth Sciences. The Department, one of the largest in the country, has a long record of quality teaching and research.  The Department runs a collaborative research and training programme with DAAD, Germany. The alumni of the department have set up highly distinguished tradition all over the globe and include six recipients of S.S.  Bhatnagar Prize, two Vice-Chancellors, one Director General of GSI, Director AMD and ONGC. Over the years a large number of graduates of this Department have also come to occupy important positions in professional organizations, several universities and research institutes both in India and abroad. The Department has contributed textbooks and reference books to the national and international Earth Science community.

Outstanding faculty, excellent work atmosphere and modern laboratories with wide-ranging research activities have been the strong points of this department. The major facilities for analytical geochemistry include X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer with FIAS and Graphite furnace, Laser Raman Microspectrometer, Total Organic Carbon Analyzer, Gas Chromatograph, Differential Thermal Analyzer/ Differential Scanning Calorimeter, Hot-Cold Stages for Fluid Inclusion Studies. The Department houses two National facilities such as the Stable Isotope Gas Source Mass Spectrometer (for O,S and C isotopic ratios in geological materials) and equipment for Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility studies (for studying deformation records in rocks).

A Global Broad-band Seismological Observatory indicates a significant milestone in the infrastructure for Earthquake Seismology. The Department also possesses state-of-the-art equipment for gravity, magnetic, electrical and electromagnetic studies. The Nuclear Geophysical laboratory has the Radon and Thoron Measurement facilities using Solid State Nuclear Track Devices and other Emanometric Techniques. The department possesses state of the art geophysical equipment such as McSeisSX 48 channel engineering seismograph, Accelarographs, Broadband seismometer and Recorders, Gravimeter, Fluxgate and Proton Precession Magnetometers, Aquameter, DDR and Signal Stacking Resisvitymeters, VLF electromagnetic instrument, Magnetotelluric instrument.

Basic infrastructure for research and teaching includes research-level polarizing and stereo microscopes, and excellent computational facilities.

Intensive field training in, structural geology, sedimentary geology, and geophysical techniques of prospecting is an integral part of the curriculum. In addition, students have the opportunity to participate in the activities of the Earth Science Study Circle, which promotes both curricular and extra-curricular activities.

The Department offers two MTech programs; one in Earth and Environmental Sciences and the other in Computational Seismology. The former is a course designed for M.Sc. degree hoders in any branch of Earth Science and the latter is open to students from both Engineering and Science background including Earth Science. The latter course was launched in 2005 under a mission mode project of DST to train manpower in Seismology to tackle earthquake disasters.

GG1   Exploration Geosciences

GG2   Computational Seismology

Course Content

GG1       Geochemistry of Soil, Sediments and Air, Instrumental Methods in Geosciences, Natural Hazards and Mitigation, Pattern Recognition in Geosciences, Remote Sensing and GIS Laboratory, Instrumental Methods Laboratory, Applied Micropaleontology, Geoinformatics and Data Analysis, Advanced Petrology and Geochemistry, Marine Geosciences and Paleoclimates, Structural Controls on Earth Resources, Mineralogical Spectroscopy, Isotope Geology and Environmental Modelling, Environmental Hydrogeology, Geostatistics, Advanced Sedimentology, Biogeochemistry, Climatic Control on Plants and Vertebrates, Mineral Exploitation and Geoenvironmental Problems, Urban Geology, Water-Rock Interaction, Digital Signal Processing in Geophysics, Hydrocarbon Exploration, Advanced Seismology, Groundwater Exploration and Management, Geophysical Tomography.

GG2        Mathematical Methods in Seismology, Applications of Inverse Theory in Geophysics, Geophysical Signal Processing Laboratory, Computational Seismology, Physics of the Earth and Geodynamics, Computational Seismology Laboratory; Applied Elasticity and Plasticity, Continuum Mechanics and Rheology, Finite Element Methods in Engineering,  Theoretical Geomechanics,  Structure Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering,  Advanced Structure Analysis,  Stochastic Process Simulation,  Computational Linear Algebra,  Logics for Computer Science,  Digital Image Processing,  Digital Signal Processing and Applications;  Neural Networks and Applications,  Geographical Information System,  Artificial Intelligence;   Computational Geomechanics,  Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering,  Dynamics of Soil and Foundation,  Overview of Computer Science,  Data Structures and Algorithm,  Computer Graphics,  Pattern Recognition in Geosciences,  Computer Graphics and Visualization;    Database Engineering,  Theory of Programming Languages,  Mulltimedia Systems and Applications,  Geoinformatics and Data Analysis,  Fuzzy Set Theory and Applications;  Management of Human Resources and Industrial relations,  Enterprise Resource Planning, Advanced Production and Inventory Control,   IT and Management of Information system.   

Areas of Research

The faculty are currently engaged in research in a broad range of disciplines. These include

    • Crustal evolution studies: Investigation of the evolutionary history of ancient and modern cratons and mobile belts from phase petrologic, structural and fluid inclusion data, and integrated studies involving one or more components. Granite tectonism and emplacement mechanisms. Study of the ancient and modern sedimentary rock record targeted towards understanding sedimentary basin evolution under different tectonic conditions, and monitoring palaeoenvironmental changes. Metallogeny of base and precious metals in tandem with crustal evolution in different parts of India, with special emphasis on relevance to the Mineral Industry.
    • Paleontological studies: Analysis of ancient life forms (invertebrates and vertebrates) to understand palaeobiology, lifestyle and evolution. Micropaleontological research on marine and inland fauna to understand past climatic conditions, with special emphasis on reconstructing monsoonal patterns.
    • Geophysical research: Earthquake source studies, reconstruction of the 3-D architecture of the continental lithosphere in active as well as ancient orogenic belts from seismic, electromagnetic/ magnetotelluric gravity and magnetic data. Integrated geophysical investigation of geothermal areas, Mapping of mid-crustal conductors using MT studies, Integrated Electrical and EM studies for groundwater and mineral exploration, Geophysical and tomography, Modelling and inversion of various geophysical data for complex 2-D and 3-D structures using numerical methods.
    • Environmental research: Pollution of soil-air-water by natural and anthropogenic causes, and utilization of waste in restoration of wasteland. Hazard assessment due to natural radioactivity and at waste disposal sites. Seismic microzonation for assessment of earthquake hazard.
    • Interdisciplinary research work using techniques of Remote Sensing and GIS are carried out in the field of resource potential mapping for ground water and mineral deposits and groundwater contamination.



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