Department of Sedimentary Basins
The Department was established in 2020 from the Department of Dynamic Geology transformation. During the 70 years of the Faculty’s existence, a very large group of researchers worked in this department. Among them, professors: Andrzej Radwański and Piotr Roniewicz, as well as professors emeritus Andrzej Wierzbowski and Bronisław Andrzej Matyja, were the scientific supervisors of most persons forming the current staff of the Department.
The Department of Sedimentary Basins is focused on the investigation of various geological processes that shape the face of the Earth. We mainly study sedimentary rocks. Our research is the basis for reading the geological past of the Earth. They are also used in the prospecting for energy and rock resources. We cooperate with scientists from both Polish and foreign geological institutions. We conduct scientific research in Poland (Polish Lowlands, Silesian-Cracow Upland, Miechów Trough, Holy-Cross Mountains, Lublin area, Carpathian Foredeep, Outer Carpathians, Pieniny Mountains, Tatra Mountains) and Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia, Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Canada and Vietnam .
Our main directions and fields of research are:
- multi-proxy sedimentological analysis;
- high-resolution stratigraphy;
- taxonomy and taphonomy of body fossils and trace fossils;
- petrology and diagenesis of sedimentary rocks;
- geophysical research, including paleomagnetic research and well geophysics;
- monitoring of the changes in natural environments using laser scanning and photogrammetry.
Department’s research mission is to study the geological processes, especially those taking place on the Earth’s surface – to observe their contemporary course and reconstruct them in the geological past. We try to inspire our students with this idea during the field and practical classes: in the picturesque Holy Cross Mountains, on the dynamic coast of the Baltic Sea, in river valleys, in dunes, and in an artificial sedimentation basin. Laboratory classes that we conduct cover the basics of rock and mineral recognition, sedimentology, well geophysics, paleomagnetism, ichnology, sedimentary petrology, and issues of diagenesis.
We invite you to choose diploma theses – bachelor’s, engineer’s and master’s – proposed in our Department. We are also open to implementing topics related to students’ interests.