International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences

International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences

File:44-INHIGEO Varese opening.jpg
Abbreviation	INHIGEO
Formation	1967
Type	INGO
Region served	Worldwide
Membership	Members, Associate Members
Official language	English
Main organ	Board of Management
Parent organization	IUGS, IUHPS
Website	www.inhigeo.org

The International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO) promotes ongoing research into the history of the earth sciences, particularly the history of geology. It has 20 Honorary Senior Members and 301 members (2018) worldwide.

History

INHIGEO has been established by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and is also affiliated with the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science (IUHPS). The suggestion for the establishment of INHIGEO in 1967 was chiefly due to the ideas and efforts of the distinguished Russian geologist Vladimir Tikhomirov (1915–1994) from the Geological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

Board of Management

President:

1. 1967 — Soviet Union — Vladimir Tikhomirov
2. 1976 — Netherlands — Reijer Hooykaas
3. 1984 — UK — Gordon Y. Craig
4. 1989 — GDR — Martin Guntau
5. 1992 — Australia — David Branagan
6. 1996 — UK — Hugh Torrens
7. 2000 — Portugal — Manuel Serrano Pinto
8. 2004 — France — Philippe Taquet
9. 2008 — Brazil — Silvia Fernanda de Mendonça Figueirôa
10. 2012 — USA — Kenneth L. Taylor
11. 2016 — Australia — Barry Cooper
12. 2020 — Italy — Ezio Vaccari

Secretary-General:

1. 1969 — Poland — Kazimierz Maślankiewicz
2. 1976 — GDR — Martin Guntau
3. 1984 — Hungary — Endre Dudich
4. 1989 — USA — Ursula Marvin
5. 1996 — Australia — David Oldroyd
6. 2004 — USA — Kennand Bork
7. 2008 — Australia — Barry Cooper
8. 2016 — Austria — Marianne Klemun
9. 2020 — Germany — Martina Kölbl-Ebert

Objective

The primary objective of the Commission on the History of Geological Sciences involves promoting studies in the history of geological disciplines. In so doing, the Commission endeavours to stimulate and coordinate the activities of regional, national, and international organizations having shared purposes. The Commission also works to foster the publication of individual and collective works that illuminate the history of the geological sciences.

INHIGEO achieves its objective by sponsoring a major annual symposium with associated field activities. It also promotes publication of individual and collective works on the history of geology and issues a substantial "Annual Record" that details historical research into earth sciences worldwide, publicises other pertinent historical activities and provides scholarly reviews of recent literature on the subject.

Strategies

• Meet with regularity, usually once a year, including years of the International Geological Congress, to conduct a major symposium on the history of geology. This typically includes a multi-day field component, with the production by the Commission of printed guidebooks.

• Produce an annual Newsletter that incorporates information from the officers, national reports, book reviews, conference reports, and a variety of news items and illustrations that promote sharing of professional insights.

• Make an effort to record the history of the International Geological Congress meetings and relevant IUGS activities.
• Work with various publishing houses and journals, including Episodes, to promote publication of symposia proceedings and a variety of contributions to the discipline.

Meetings

INHIGEO Symposiums:

1. 1967 — Soviet Union — Yerevan
2. 1968 — Czechoslovakia — Prague (with 23rd IGC)
3. 1970 — East Germany — Freiberg
4. 1972 — Canada — Montreal (with 24th IGC)
5. 1974 — Spain — Madrid
6. 1975 — United Kingdom — London
7. 1976 — Australia — Sydney (with 25th IGC)
8. 1978 — West Germany — Münster, Bonn
9. 1980 — France — Paris (with 26th IGC)
10. 1982 — Hungary — Budapest
11. 1984 — Soviet Union — Moscow (with 27th IGC)
12. 1985 — United Kingdom — Edinburgh
13. 1987 — Italy — Pisa, Padua
14. 1989 — United States — Washington, D.C. (with 28th IGC)
15. 1990 — China — Beijing
16. 1991 — Germany — Dresden
17. 1992 — Japan — Kyoto (with 29th IGC)
18. 1993 — Brazil — São Paulo
19. 1994 — Australia — Sydney
20. 1995 — Italy — Naples
21. 1996 — China — Beijing (with 30th IGC)
22. 1997 — Belgium — Liège
23. 1998 — Switzerland — Neuchâtel
24. 1999 — Germany — Freiberg
25. 2000 — Brazil — Rio de Janeiro (with 31st IGC)
26. 2001 — Portugal — Lisbon
27. 2002 — France — Paris
28. 2003 — Ireland — Dublin
29. 2004 — Italy — Florence (with 32nd IGC)
30. 2005 — Czech Republic — Prague
31. 2006 — Lithuania — Vilnius
32. 2007 — Germany — Eichstätt
33. 2008 — Norway — Oslo (with 33rd IGC)
34. 2009 — Canada — Calgary
35. 2010 — Spain — Madrid
36. 2011 — Japan — Toyohashi
37. 2012 — Australia — Brisbane (with 34th IGC)
38. 2013 — United Kingdom — Manchester
39. 2014 — United States — Asilomar
40. 2015 — China — Beijing
41. 2016 — South Africa — Cape Town (with 35th IGC)
42. 2017 — Armenia — Yerevan
43. 2018 — Mexico — Mexico City
44. 2019 — Italy — Varese, Como
45. 2021 — India — New Delhi (with 36th IGC), canceled due to COVID-19
46. 2021 — Poland — Kraków, online
47. 2022 — France — Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil
48. 2023 — Poland — Kraków
49. 2024 — South Korea — Busan (with 37th IGC)
50. 2025 — New Zealand — Dunedin

Affiliated associations

List of the INHIGEO affiliated associations (2018)

• International — History of Earth Sciences Society (HESS)
• Argentina — Comisión Argentina de Historia de la Geología
• Australia — Earth Sciences History Group, Geological Society of Australia (ESHG)
• Austria — Austrian Working Group History of Earth Sciences (AWGHES)
• China — Committee on the History of Geology, Geological Society of China
• France — Comité Français d’histoire de la Géologie (COFRHIGEO)
• Italy — History of Geoscience Section Geological Society of Italy
• Japan — Japanese Association for the History of Geosciences (JAHIGEO)
• Poland — Section on the History of Geological Sciences Polish Geological Society
• Poland — Polish Geological Institute
• Serbia — History of Geology Division
• Serbian — Srpsko geološko društvo (SGD)
• UK — History of Geology Group (HOGG) Geological Society of London
• Venezuela — Sociedad Venezolana de Historia de las Geociencias.

Publications

• Celebrating 50 Years of INHIGEO / Editors W. Mayer, R. M. Clary, L. F. Azuela, N. S. Mots, S. Wolkowicz. London: GSL, 2017. 456 p. (GSL Special Publication; 442).
• Program and guidebook. INHIGEO, 2017. Armenia.
• Physis: Rivista Internazionale di Storia della Scienza. 2021. Vol. 56. Fasc. 1/2. (The History of Geological Sciences as a disciplinary crossing point: the Proceedings of the INHIGEO 2019 Symposium)

See also

• Vladimir V. Tikhomirov History of Geology Award

External links

http://www.inhigeo.org — Official website

• INHIGEO Symposiums official sites: 2019, 2017, 2015, 2014.

• University of New Hampshire.edu: "History of Geology on the International Scene"
• 'Episodes' — Journal of International Union of Geological Sciences.