Vasily Dokuchaev

Vasily Vasilievich Dokuchaev (Russian Василий Васильевич Докучаев; * 17 Februarjul / March 1 1846greg, .. .. † 26 Oktoberjul / November 8 1903greg ) was a Russian geologist, mineralogist and geographer. He is considered the father of modern soil science.

Life

After studying at the imperial. St Petersburg University, he worked the late 19th century in the field of soil science, geology, mineralogy and geography. Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky was one of his students.

From 1872 to 1878 Dokuchaev worked as curator at the Geological Cabinet of the University in St. Petersburg. Then, from 1874 to 1882, he served as secretary of Geology and Mineralogy Department of the St. Petersburg Society of Natural Sciences.

Between 1880 and 1896 he held at his university lectures on mineralogy and crystallography, since 1883 as a professor. In 1882, they chose Dokuchaev to Senior Geologist in the Geological Committee and also secretary of the Russian sub-committee for the standardization of geological terminology at the 2nd International Geological Congress. In 1888 he defended his doctoral thesis on the topic " Russian Black Earth" at the University of St. Petersburg, acquiring a doctorate in the field of geology. His work is awarded a prize by the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences and is deflected by the Imperial Free Economic Society ( Вольное экономическое общество ) special recognition.

Dokuchaev recognized the dependence of soil types from the air. In 1888 came on his own initiative, a group of interested within the Imperial Free Economic Society together, the research on pedological aspects devoted himself. This working group was spun off in 1913 and renamed the Committee for Soil Science. In 1918, Franz Loewinson - Lessing divided the Bodenkundlergruppe in the Committee for the study of natural productive forces. At the suggestion of Loewinson - Lessing and Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky took over the Soviet Academy of Sciences in 1927, this research facility as an independent institution, which has since also bore the name of Dokuchaev.

At the Moscow Agricultural Academy ( Timiryazev Academy ), there is a museum where he collected the soil profiles are exhibited.

Others

In St. Petersburg, the Central Ground Museum Dokuchaev 1904 was opened, and in research is an international institution to this day.

An impact crater on Mars is named after Dokuchaev.

The Soil Science Society of the USSR awarded a VV Dokuchaev Medal.