About the Department

Objective

The Department of Geology and Geophysics was established in the University of Madras in 1952. The progress of the Department is consistent over the years and recognizing the advances made with the UGC awarded Special Assistance Programme Phase I to the Department for the year 1994-1999. With significant development in instrumentation facilities, research in the field of Micropaleontology and Petrology was made. The UGC has extended the Special Assistance Programme under Phase - II for a further period of five years from 2000 to 2005. The UGC has also awarded financial assistance under COSIST (ASIST) Programme to develop the infrastructure of the Department. The UGC has so far sanctioned Rupees 1.10 Crores under the various research and development Programmes. The Department has also gained the distinction of being sponsored by Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi under FIST Programme and a sum of Rs. 60 lakhs has been sanctioned. The faculty of the Department have been also awarded research projects from DST, UGC, CSIR, INCOIS and DOD, and a total support of Rs.80 lakhs has been received during the past 5 years. During the past five decades, the Department has shown commendable progress and has grown to a large extent to become one of the premier geoscientific research and teaching Institutes in the Country.

• The Department has successfully completed UGC - Special Assistance Programme (Phase - I Rs. 17.5 Lakhs) for the period 1994 - 1999.
• The Department has been identified by the UGC - Special Assistance Programme (Phase - II) and sanctioned an amount of Rs.30.2 lakhs for Research and Developmental programmes for the period 2000 - 2005.
• The Department has been identified by the UGC - COSIST (ASIST) (Phase - I) and sanctioned an amount of Rs.68 lakhs for Research and Development programmes for the period 2001-2006.
• The Department has been identified by the DST - FIST Programme and sanctioned an amount of Rs.60 lakhs for Research and Development programmes for the period 2002-2007.
• Presently, the Department has Six ongoing research projects for its faculty from various funding agencies amounting to Rs.80 lakhs.
• The Department has been identified by the UGC through its Special Assistance Programme under DSA- Level I for Research and Developmental programmes and sanctioned an amount of Rs. 56 Lakhs for the period 2007-2012.

The Department of Geology has presently been concentrating on studies relating to Earthquakes and Tsunami. Three projects leading to Earthquake and Tsunami studies have been completed and further research in this field has been progressing.  

Major Equipments

• Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) - GEOL JSM 6360
• X - ray Diffractometer (Bruker)
• Atomic Absorbtion Spectrophotometer (AAS)
• Leica Petrological Ore Microscope
• Leica Stereozoom Microscope
• Palynological Microscope
• 42" Colour Plotter
• SOKKIA Total Station

Software Facilities

• GIS - Arc Info software
• GMS software
• ENVI software
• Bently Mictostation software

The students who had the opportunity to learn Geology from this Department are occupying prestigious positions in several Universities and Colleges in the country and also serve in Geoscientific organizations such as Geological Survey of India, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd, Atomic Minerals Division and State Government Departments like Department of Geology and Mining, Ground Water Division, Metrowater, Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board and Tamil Nadu Minerals Ltd, in addition to various private National and International oil and mining companies and Oil companies. A good number of students had the opportunity to further their research overseas.  

The Department is being approached by many Universities, Central and State Government Departments, Private organizations for consultancy in different fields of Geology. A number of scientists from foreign Universities have visited the Department and a lot of collaborative work with scientists abroad has been progressing. The Department of Geology has earned a name that it is one of the Departments excelling in the field of Micropaleontology and Stratigraphy, in addition to Petrology and Sedimentology.  

Department of Geology University of Madras Maraimalai Adigalar Campus Chennai - 600 025 Tele Fax : 044 - 2235 0344 Office : 044 - 22202790 E-mail : spmohan50@hotmail.com