History
From the historical point of view the Department of Geophysics, initially the Professor Walery Edward Janczewski’s Department of Applied Geophysics, then the Geological Geophysics Chair, was at the very beginning (1946) the most important unit at the Geological and Surveying Faculty, next Faculty of Geological Prospection, at the Academy of Mining and Metallurgy. The unique group of geophysicists presented various geophysical methods for solving applied geology tasks, always pointing out physical basis of each measurement. The historical development and scientific profile of the Department of Geophysics was very similar to its contemporary structure. Geophysical staff at the Academy of Mining and Metallurgy always tried to apply relatively quick and cheap geophysical methods in prospection for oil and gas, water, and other mineral raw materials, i.e. black coal, lignite, sulphur, salts, copper and iron ores. Significant development of heavy industry in Poland after the Second World War and great endeavour undertaken by the Academy of Mining and Metallurgy in development of the country mobilized geophysical team to use all available geophysical methods. Close cooperation with the geophysical enterprise gave an additional motivation and chance to combine industry measurements and scientific interpretation of geophysical results. Methods which were used and developed in that historical time at the Department of Geophysics, as well scientific activity were the continuation of the long geophysical tradition initiated in Kraków with the first Geophysical Chair of Maurycy Pius Rudzki founded at the Jagiellonian University in 1895 and researches in seismology, geology and glaciology conducted by Walery Edward Janczewski in the first half of the 20th century. Research groups of the Department of Geophysics have started their activity at the very beginning in the following areas: gravity (prof. Zbigniew Fajklewicz), magnetics (prof. Stanisław Małoszewski), geoelectrics (prof. Henryk Orkisz) and seismics (prof. Jerzy Kowalczuk) applied to prospecting and mining of mineral deposits. Since that time the Department of Geophysics at the Faculty of Geological Prospecting has been the important Polish geophysical institution. The Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of science founded in 1953 closely cooperated with our Department. Here, at the Academy of Mining and Metallurgy, at the Faculty of Geological Prospection in 1955 the famous Polish geophysicist- seismologist, prof. Adam M. Dziewoński presented his Ph.D. thesis on the synthetic seismograms used in seismic prospection in 1965.
At present, the staff of the Department of Geophysics includes 7 professors, 13 doctors (8 assistant professor and 5 assistant), 3 technical workers, and 3 PhD students. Retired professors still cooperate with the Department taking part in scientific projects