Ivan Mushketov
Encyclopedia
Ivan Vasilʹevich Mushketov (1850–1902) was a famous Russian
geologist
, tectonist
, explorer, and geographer
who was born in the Don region
and entered Saint Petersburg University in 1867, but soon transferred to the Mining Institute
where he was a student of A. P. Karpinsky, and graduated from there in 1872. He later became a professor at the Mining Institute, and also served as head geologist of the Geological Committee, and president of the physical geography section of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society
.
Upon graduation in 1872 he began his "continuous, almost uninterrupted explorations of Russia
" which included a 6-year term (beginning 1873) as a mining attaché to the Governor General of Turkestan
. These remarkable journeys resulted in numerous scientific papers, important geological maps including the first geological map of Turkestan (with S. D. Romanovsky), and the two-volume work "Turkestan". Cataloguing and discovering mineral deposits formed part of this work. Prof. Mushketov also made careful observations of earthquakes in Kazakhstan
and Russia, and organized regular observation of the glaciers of the Caucasus
. He led the team that surveyed the Circum-Baikal Railway
, and published textbooks on physical geology and on petrography
.
The Mushketov Glacier (Antarctica), Gora Mushketova (Antarctica) the Mushketov Glacier in the Tian Shan
mountain range, and Gora Mushketova (Mushketov Mountain, the Mountain Peak of the Vitim Tableland, Buriyatia) are named after him. He was the father of D. I. Mushketov, who, like his father, specialized in the geology of Central Asia and studied both earthquakes and glaciation.
I. V. Mushketov (1878) "Les richesses minérales du Turkestan russe." Impr. Arnous de Rivière, Paris (in French)
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
, tectonist
Tectonics
Tectonics is a field of study within geology concerned generally with the structures within the lithosphere of the Earth and particularly with the forces and movements that have operated in a region to create these structures.Tectonics is concerned with the orogenies and tectonic development of...
, explorer, and geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
who was born in the Don region
Don River (Russia)
The Don River is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast of Moscow, and flows for a distance of about 1,950 kilometres to the Sea of Azov....
and entered Saint Petersburg University in 1867, but soon transferred to the Mining Institute
Saint Petersburg Mining Institute
The G. V. Plekhanov Saint Petersburg State Mining Institute and Technical University is Russia's oldest higher education institute devoted to engineering...
where he was a student of A. P. Karpinsky, and graduated from there in 1872. He later became a professor at the Mining Institute, and also served as head geologist of the Geological Committee, and president of the physical geography section of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society
Russian Geographical Society
The Russian Geographical Society is a learned society, founded on 6 August 1845 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.-Imperial Geographical Society:Prior to the Russian Revolution of 1917, it was known as the Imperial Russian Geographical Society....
.
Upon graduation in 1872 he began his "continuous, almost uninterrupted explorations of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
" which included a 6-year term (beginning 1873) as a mining attaché to the Governor General of Turkestan
Turkestan
Turkestan, spelled also as Turkistan, literally means "Land of the Turks".The term Turkestan is of Persian origin and has never been in use to denote a single nation. It was first used by Persian geographers to describe the place of Turkish peoples...
. These remarkable journeys resulted in numerous scientific papers, important geological maps including the first geological map of Turkestan (with S. D. Romanovsky), and the two-volume work "Turkestan". Cataloguing and discovering mineral deposits formed part of this work. Prof. Mushketov also made careful observations of earthquakes in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
and Russia, and organized regular observation of the glaciers of the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. He led the team that surveyed the Circum-Baikal Railway
Circum-Baikal Railway
The Circum-Baikal Railway is a historical railway in Irkutsk region of Russia. It runs along the Northern shore of the Southern extremity of the lake from the town of Slyudyanka to the Baikal settlement. Until the middle of the 20th century Circum-Baikal railway was part of the main line of...
, and published textbooks on physical geology and on petrography
Petrography
Petrography is a branch of petrology that focuses on detailed descriptions of rocks. Someone who studies petrography is called a petrographer. The mineral content and the textural relationships within the rock are described in detail. Petrographic descriptions start with the field notes at the...
.
The Mushketov Glacier (Antarctica), Gora Mushketova (Antarctica) the Mushketov Glacier in the Tian Shan
Tian Shan
The Tian Shan , also spelled Tien Shan, is a large mountain system located in Central Asia. The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Victory Peak , ....
mountain range, and Gora Mushketova (Mushketov Mountain, the Mountain Peak of the Vitim Tableland, Buriyatia) are named after him. He was the father of D. I. Mushketov, who, like his father, specialized in the geology of Central Asia and studied both earthquakes and glaciation.
Further reading
E. A. Baskov (1986) "Ivan Vasilʹevich Mushketov, 1850-1902". Nauka, Leningrad (in Russian).I. V. Mushketov (1878) "Les richesses minérales du Turkestan russe." Impr. Arnous de Rivière, Paris (in French)