Dimitrij Andrusov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dimitrij Andrusov
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| Born | 7 November 1897 Tartu, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire
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| Died | 1 April 1976 (age 78) |
| Nationality | Slovak |
| Alma mater | Czech Technical University |
| Known for | tectonic studies in the Western Carpathians |
| Awards | Gustav-Steinmann-Medaille (1973) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | geologist |
| Institutions | Comenius University Geological Institute of Dionýz Štúr |
Dimitrij Andrusov (born November 7, 1897 – died April 1, 1976) was an important Slovak geologist. He was originally from Russia. He became a member of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. He was the first geology professor at colleges in Slovakia. Many people see him as the person who started modern geology in Slovakia.
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Life of a Geologist
Dimitrij Andrusov was born on November 7, 1897. This was in a place called Yuryev, which is now Tartu in Estonia. He was the grandson of Heinrich Schliemann, a famous archaeologist. His father, Nicolai Ivanovich Andrusov, was also a geologist.
His Education
Dimitrij studied at the University in Saint Petersburg from 1915 to 1918. Later, he went to the Sorbonne University in France from 1920 to 1922. He finished his studies at the Czech Technical University in Prague in 1925. After graduating, he started working at the Technical University in 1929.
Moving to Slovakia
During World War II, many Czech schools were closed. So, Dimitrij moved to Slovakia in 1938. He began working at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. In 1940, he also started working at the Comenius University in Bratislava. He became the head of the Geological and Paleontological Institute there.
Dimitrij Andrusov was the first geology professor to work at Slovak colleges. He also helped create the Slovak geological survey. This survey studies the Earth's structure in Slovakia. He led it from 1940 to 1945.
Teaching and Research
In 1952, Andrusov became the head of the Geology Department at Comenius University. He stayed in this role until 1970. He wrote many textbooks for his students. He also led field trips and excursions. On these trips, students learned about geology by exploring nature.
He also helped start the Geological Laboratory in 1957. This lab later became the Geological Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. He was its first director.
What He Studied
Dimitrij Andrusov was interested in many areas of geology. He studied:
- Geology: The study of the Earth.
- Stratigraphy: How layers of rock are formed.
- Tectonics: How the Earth's crust moves and changes.
- Paleontology: The study of ancient life through fossils.
- Geology of deposits: Where valuable minerals or resources are found.
- Engineering geology: How geology affects building projects.
Focus on the Carpathians
He spent a lot of time studying the Carpathian Mountains, especially the Western Carpathians. He looked at areas like the Pieniny Klippen Belt and the Carpathian flysch zone. He also studied the central Western Carpathians.
He showed that there were large rock layers called nappes in the Western Carpathians. These nappes moved over long distances. He also found out about different periods of mountain building, called orogenetic phases. His work helped create a picture of how the Carpathian region looked millions of years ago. This ancient area was a deep ocean basin called a geosyncline during the Mesozoic Era.
His research greatly improved our understanding of the Western Carpathians. It became the basis for how we understand their structure today.
His Important Books
Dimitrij Andrusov's scientific work was highly respected in Europe. He wrote many important books and papers. Some of his main works include:
- The Geological research of Klippen zone of the Western Carpathians (a five-volume book from 1931 to 1955).
- The Geology of Czechoslovak Carpathians (three volumes from 1958 to 1965).
- Grundriss der Tektonik der Nördlichen Karpaten (1968). This book is seen as a major summary of the tectonic structure of the Northern Carpathians.
He wrote about 250 other scientific papers. Besides his research, he also worked on practical projects. He helped with building dams, railways, and tunnels. He also searched for non-metallic deposits, which are important for industries.
