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Overview

Teaching and Training

Geological Studies Unit (GSU), Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, carries out introductory
exposition of Earth System Science to the B.Stat students with the aim that the students can
handle geological data properly for statistical analysis. The scientists of GSU also supervise
research students working for their Ph.D. degree, conduct course work for Ph.D students and
train them to carry out extensive geological field work and data collection. They train
M.Sc./M.Tech and B.Tech students either from the Institute or from other universities/institutes
in their postgraduate dissertations, summer internships and in other scientific pursuits. They
guide/instruct project personnel assigned to the unit to enable them to complete their projects.
At present there are nine junior and senior research fellows and one INSPIRE fellow present
in GSU. The scientific workers are also actively involved in the upkeep of the Geology
Museum which is a rich repository of vertebrate and invertebrate fossils.

Research and Other Scientific Activities

Fieldwork is the mainstay of research activities of the Geological Studies Unit. Fieldwork is
focused on several parts of peninsular and extra-peninsular India. The collected data is
analyzed using innovative geological methods and different statistical tools and samples are
processed in the in-house laboratories for further investigation. Samples are also analysed
further in national and international facilities for geochemical and isotopic studies in particular.
At the same time, computers are also used for geological modeling by numerical simulation
and development of software to suit specific needs of the Unit’s projects. The scientific workers
of the Unit also collaborate with different national and international research groups for a
global understanding of the dynamic earth, to avail modern instrumental facilities and for
exposing young fellows to the different geo- scientific activities going on all over the world.
GSU scientists have always hosted many internationally acclaimed Geoscientists including
Royal Society and Fulbright fellows.

At present, research works in the Geological Studies Unit are focused on several different
aspects of Earth Science.

1) Crustal Geodynamics as observed in:

• Structural, stratigraphic and metamorphic evolution of the Precambrian Eastern Ghat
belt and other South Indian terrain with geochronological constraints
• Structural and metamorphic history of the northeastern Himalaya
• Geodynamic evolution of the cratonic basins of the Precambrian

2) Evolution of Sedimentary Basins with their sedimentology, paleoclimate and depositional
history as observed in the:

• Proterozoic Basins of India
• Gondwana Basins of Peninsular India
• Mesozoic and Cenozoic Basins of Kutch, Sourastra, Rajasthan etc.
• Northeastern Himalayan basins

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