Education, Geophysics, University, Romania

THE UNIVERSITY GEOPHYSICAL EDUCATION IN ROMANIA. LANDMARKS AURELIAN NEGUŢ University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Department of Geophysics, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, Romania ([email protected]) The paper is a detailed account of the university geophysical education in Romania, starting with the beginnings of applied geophysics in the framework of the Geological Institute of Romania (January 1st, 1925) and introducing geophysical classes in the Polytechnical School curricula between 1927 and 1948, continuing with dedicated departments in several higher education institutions, such as the Geological and Mining Technique Institute, Oil, Gas and Geology Institute, and finally Bucharest University. Key words: education, geophysics, university, Romania. The university education in Geophysics, on introduced in Romania in 1931, as a distinct systematic bases, cannot be separated from the branch of Applied Geophysics. In short time it beginning and evolution of Geophysics became a compulsory geophysical technique, application in Romania with significant informative potential and major A significant marker is represented by economical implications. organizing, at January 1st, 1925 in the framework The beginnings of Romanian geophysics of the Geological Institute of Romania, by extended over about 25 years, from 1925 to 1950, initiative of Ludovic Mrazec, the president of the year when some complex specialized companies this institution, of the Geological and Mining were organized: the Prospecting and Laboratories Prospection Section, as a way of orienting the Company (“Întreprinderea de Prospecţiuni şi fundamental geological research of the Institute Laboratoare” – I.P.L.) in the framework of the towards practical and economical applications. Geological Committee of Romania, the Geological In a short time, this section became the Prospecting and Geophysical Prospecting Company for and Applied Geophysics Section, recognizing Hydrocarbons (“Întreprinderea de Prospecţiuni the role and development perspectives of the Geologice şi Geofizice pentru Hidrocarburi” – new geophysical methods for subsoil research, in I.P.G.G.H.) and the Well Logging and Perforating close connection with the identification and Company (“Întreprinderea de Carotaj şi Perforare” – evaluation of mineral resources for the Romanian I.C.P.) – Ploieşti. economy. The role and importance of geophysical The core of specialists with the role of methods in the higher education were presented, organizing and introducing geophysical prospecting methods included Toma Petre Ghiţulescu, Iulian for the first time, by Prof. Toma Petre Gavăt, Mircea Socolescu and Sabba S. Ştefănescu. Ghiţulescu in the framework of an Ore Deposits All of them conducted the Prospecting and course, taught at Bucharest Polytechnic School Applied Geophysics Section of the Geological during 1927–1935. An independent course of Institute of Romania during 1926–1950, Geophysical Prospecting Methods was presented following Prof. David Roman (died 1927), the and published for the first time by Prof. Sabba S. first head of Prospecting Section, who strongly Ştefănescu, at the same school, in 1936. supported the introduction and development of After 1948, the goals of the Romanian extractive Applied Geophysics in its beginning phases. industry development imposed the training of In close connection with exploration drilling highly-qualified specialists for the field for hydrocarbons, the geophysical logging was application of different geophysical methods and Rev. Roum. GÉOPHYSIQUE, 58–59, p. 51–56, 2014–2015, Bucureşti 52 Aurelian Neguţ 2 techniques and, also, an efficient cooperation different organizational systems, like the Geological with geologists, engineering geologists and and Geophysical Section, during 1970–1974. drilling and mining engineers, in order to extend Following the transfer of the Oil and Gas the applicability domain of geophysical methods Institute to Ploieşti, the higher engineering for practical and economical purposes. education in Geology and Geophysics of the The role and place of geophysical prospecting Technical Geology Faculty moved to the and geophysical well logging in the framework Bucharest University, where, starting with the of complex geological research of subsoil being 1974–1975 academic year, a unique Engineering well defined after about 25 years of evolution, Geology and Geophysics Section was organized Geophysics was taught in the higher education at the Geology and Geography Faculty. This process. Starting with 1949, at the Geology Faculty structure was maintained until 1985, when the of Bucharest University, a Geophysics course Faculty of Geology and Geography became the was introduced and taught successively by Prof. Faculty of Biology, Geography and Geology, by Sabba S. Ştefănescu, Prof. Mircea Socolescu and including the Biology Faculty of the Bucharest Prof. Ştefan Airinei. University. In this faculty, a distinct Section of The higher education in Geophysics started in Geological and Geophysical Engineering continued Romania in 1948, in the framework of the its activity. Geological and Mining Technique Institute The last change in the higher education in (I.G.T.M.) – Bucharest. Geology and Geophysics took place in January During the 1950–1955 period, the Section of 1990, when the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics Geophysics existed with this name within the was organized at the Bucharest University and Geology Faculty, belonging in 1951–1952 to the the Geophysics Section became a distinct Geological and Mining Technique Institute and specialization. It is worth mentioning that higher from 1952 to the Bucharest Mining Institute. education in Geophysics was structured and The first series of geophysicists graduated in developed in close correlation with the higher 1952. Before 1952, the specialists who worked education in Geological Engineering. in the field of Geophysics, particularly Applied A key role in the organization and development Geophysics, originated from the graduates of of the higher education in Geophysics was Polytechnic Institutes, Faculty of Mining and played by the Geophysics Chair, where all the Metallurgy, mainly from Bucharest and Timişoara, problems of various geophysical specialties have but also from other fields such as Physics. been discussed and solved by the contribution of At the Bucharest Mining Institute, within the teaching staff. Technical Geology Faculty, Geophysics was At the beginning, the Geophysics Chair organized in a separate section of “Geophysical benefited from the competent management of Prospecting”, started from the third academic Prof. Sabba S. Ştefănescu (1950–1962), who was year with a distinct Geophysics Chair conducted extremely active in organizing and developing by Acad. Prof. Sabba S. Ştefănescu. For the the geophysical activity in Romania, with significant development of engineering education in Geophysics, theoretical and practical contributions. It is in the framework of the Geophysics Department worth mentioning that for a long time period (Section) and Geophysics Chair, a remarkable (until 1967), Prof. Sabba S. Ştefănescu coordinated support was offered by Acad. Prof. Nicolae the Geophysics activity at the Geological Petrulian, Rector of the Bucharest Mining Institute Committee of Romania, being directly involved and, later, of the Bucharest Oil, Gas and Geology in the selection of areas for geophysical Institute. prospecting works and, also, in the monthly and In 1957, the Technical Geology Faculty from yearly evaluation of the results. This activity was Bucharest Mining Institute was transferred to the carried out in parallel with the complex teaching Bucharest Oil, Gas and Geology Institute. In the activity in the framework of the Geophysics Chair. framework of this institute, the engineering At the Geophysics Chair of Bucharest Mining geophysics training was carried out under Institute, the disciplines of Geophysics have 3 The university geophysical education in Romania. Landmarks 53 been covered by Prof. Sabba S. Ştefănescu, teaching and scientific activity in the fields of Prof. Liviu Constantinescu, Prof. Iulian Gavăt, Geophysics in which they were involved. Prof. Radu Botezatu, Assoc. Prof. Constantin For a high-quality professional and scientific Gheorghiu, Assoc. Prof. Aurel Iacovache and training of the students in Geophysics, during Assoc. Prof. Mircea Paucă. At the Bucharest Oil, time, in close correlation with the established Gas and Geology Institute, after 1957, and academic programs, the Geophysics Chair especially after 1960, the teaching staff in cooperated with several specialists – Geophysics increased by including new geophysicists from industry and scientific permanent members (Mihai Săsărman, research fields, covering various domains of Constantin Calotă, Aurelian Neguţ, Adona Geophysics, on variable time periods. For this Hagiu, Paul Georgescu, Tudorel Orban, category, we mention: Misac Nabighian (Theory Gheorghe Stănescu, Adriana Pârjol, Dumitru of Electromagnetic Field and Electrical Enescu, Dinu Ştefănescu, Matei Trâmbiţaşu) Prospecting), Mircea Rădulescu (Theory of and, also, by including teaching staff from the Electromagnetic Field), Dumitru Paicu (Seismic Geodesy-Topography Laboratory of the Drilling Prospecting), Petre Tănăsescu (Gravity and Exploitation Faculty (Prof. Gheorghe Prospecting, Electrical Prospecting, Geological Constantinescu and, later, Lecturers Alexandru Data Base for Romanian Hydrocarbon Wells), Fronescu and Eftimie

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