Studies of the History of Geology in the Soviet Union in the Second Half of the 20th Century
The earth scientists of Russia have long been interested in the history of geological knowledge. V. I. Vernadsky (1863-1945) and V. A. Obruchev (1861-1956) saw the necessity and actively supported research into the history of science in Russia. During the 1930-1940s M. S. Shatsky (1895-1960) published analyses of the ideas of Charles Darwin (1809-1882), R.I. Murchinson (1792-1871), and A. D. Archangelsky (1879-1940). He followed these with a series of papers devoted to the history of the evolution of theoretical and applied geology. In the early 1950s several works investigating actualistic and uniformitarian methods were published in the USSR. From the 1960s through the 1980s, the new fields of paleogeography and lithology evolved and a new branch of geology resulted from the prospecting and exploration of radioactive materials. In 1967, an International Committee on the History of Geological Knowledge was proposed by Soviet geologists and established at the 23rd International Geological Congress at Yerevan. It is presently known as "INHIGEO," a Commission of the International Union of Geological Sciences. INHIGEO now has 126 members from 35 countries. From 1967 to 1992, INHIGEO sponsored seventeen international symposia. One or two were held at each of the International Geological Congresses, which regularly convene every fourth year, and additional symposia have been held at frequent intervals. The complex process of the evolution of the natural sciences in Russia may be subdivided into separate periods. Since the late 1960s, geophysics has grown in importance and several major fields of geophysics have emerged. In addition, a general theory of the Earth has taken shape, geoecological studies have begun, and a theoretical history of geology and other earth sciences has evolved. The last quarter of this century has witnessed the publication of two multi-volume series: "Geological knowledge in the USSR," comprising 52 books and "Sketches on the history of geological knowledge," with 28 issues. These works outline the history of geological knowledge in the USSR from about 1965 to 1990.