HISTORY

The Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology was founded on September, 1 1935 after the transfer of the geological faculty of Kyiv Geological Mining Institute to Dnepropetrovsk Mining Institute (DMI) followed by introducing here the speciality Hydrogeology. Before that hydrogeological courses at DMI were taught by the department of general geology and hydrogeology headed by Prof. Gembytskyy Sergei Samuilovich. Later he was the head of the new Department of hydrogeology and engineering geology for two years.

In different years experienced lecturers, scientists, and technicians worked and now are working at the Department. They are professors S.S. Gembytskyy, I.A. Skaballanovych, S.A. Shagoyants, N.V. Sedenko, Yu.I. Antonov, V.G. Pasichnyy, I.A. Sadovenko, D.V. Rudakov, associate professors V.A. Grygorovych, V.A. Pryhod'ko, O.M. Antroptsev, M.P. Kondratenko, A.F. Charkin, I.N. Chernenko, O.I. Sharov, L.M. Chertkov, T.D. Prokopenko, V.D. Kraschenko, V.I. Tymoshchuk, A.M. Zahrytsenko, O.V. Inkin, N.O. Maximova-Gulyaeva, assistant professors S.V. Komissarov, O.O. Fedorenko, assistants M.M. Linnik, V.K. Makarenko, E.I. Titov, V.D. Filimonov, A.E. Mikhailov, V.V. Yelizar'yeva, N.M. Koltasheva, E.F. Syrotenko, I.E. Okhrimenko, V.V. Tishkov. Laboratory heads were T.A. Yeremenko, O.V. Kachkovs'ka, laboratory technicians P.I. Stazhevska, Ye.D. Gulida, G.V. Grebenyuk, V.P. Leonidova.

In the difficult postwar years the Department staff educated professional specialists, renovated the laboratory, carried out consulting in restoring structures destroyed during the war. It maintained close cooperation with the Institute "Ukrgidroenergoproekt" (Kharkiv) that was the central institution responsible for designing technical systems of water regulation and hydropower.

Teaching/learning process was significantly improved, with focusing on the quality of teaching courses and trainings. By 1951 the Department staff has been educating a group of students in "Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology". In following years the number of student groups increased up to four, which required expansion of laboratory facilities and growth of teaching staff. In 1952-1961 the Department trained specialists in hydrogeology for the People's Republic of Bulgaria and the People's Republic of China. Many graduates of this period became Ph. Doctors and Doctors of Sciences, known specialists and heads of industrial enterprises in their countries.

Mining engineers and hydrogeologists educated at the department worked and are working in the exploration, design, research organizations and universities, manufacturing plants, environmental institutions both home and abroad in Belarus, Russia, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Algeria, the Arab Republic of Egypt , India, Guinea, Mozambique, Cambodia, etc. Among the graduates there are seven Doctors of Sciences (F.A. Rudenko, M.V. Syrovatko, A.V. Kudelskyy, Ye.O. Yakovlev, I.A. Sadovenko, V.G. Pasichnyy, G.I. Gryva); more than fifty graduates became Ph. Doctors.

Since the Department was established the requirements for the content and quality of training courses have been constantly increased, which resulted in changes in curricula, programs and content of some subjects, laboratory and practical studies. Thus, in 1950s "Hydrochemistry" and "Radionuclide hydrogeology" were introduced as the disciplines, in 1960s "Electric and hydraulic modeling" (physical modeling of hydrological processes) and "Methods of geo-engineering research" followed. In 1980s "Mineral water", "Fundamentals of Ecology and Environment Protection", and "Mining hydrogeology" were introduced in curricula, in 1990s "Geotechnical Systems", in the last decade "Groundwater Monitoring", and "Mathematical modeling of hydrogeological and geotechnical processes" became the new courses.

Since 1960s laboratory facilities at the Department were expanded and enhanced. The available laboratory of hydrogeology and engineering geology was reorganized as the laboratories of soil science and soil mechanics, groundwater dynamics, modeling hydrogeological and engineering and geological processes, mathematical modeling; the last is based on the computer room. In 1990s a hydrogeological site was established for educational practical training at the resort complex "Miner"; there are more than ten pumping and observation wells in shallow and artesian aquifers near the Samara river floodplain. In 2009, the modern equipment for chemical analysis of water and 3D triaxial testing soils were installed in the Department laboratories.

RESEARCH SCHOOLS

Research works at the Department had begun since 1930s; that time according to the plans of industrialization approved in the Soviet Union building of large industrial and hydropower facilities was initiated. Professor S.S. Gembytskyy and the lecturer of geology and hydrogeology A.M. Alekseyev carried out hydrogeological and geotechnical studies for building DneproGES (hydropower plant on Dnepr), Metallurgical Plant in Kryvyi Rig, and draining mines of Donbass as well.

In 1950s the Department in collaboration with the Institute "Ukrgidep" carried out researches to predict groundwater rising and bank abrasion in Kremenchug and Kahovske reservoirs, to elaborate the measures for protecting the Nikopol manganese deposits from flooding (S.A. Shagoyants, I.A. Skaballonovych, M.V. Sedenko, V.A. Grygorovych). The same time hydrogeological studies related to brown coal deposits of Dnipropetrovsk basin were carried out by M.V. Sedenko, I.A. Skaballanovych.

Since 1950, the principal areas of research carried out by the Department staff included development of theoretical issues of groundwater formation and zonal distribution, the methods of regional hydrogeological mapping, and studying hydrogeological conditions on the South of Ukraine and mineral waters on Northern Caucasus (S.A. Shagoyants, V.A. Prikhodko , V.A. Grygorovych, M.P. Kondratenko). Theoretical studies made by S.A. Shagoyants allowed determining the conditions necessary for formation of different groundwater types and hydro-chemical patterns of horizontal and vertical distribution in artesian basins of various geological structures. The application of these researches was development of the methods to reconstruct paleo-hydrogeological conditions having formed the hydrogeological basin.

In 1950-60s the systematic studies of mineral water on Northern Caucasus resorts were also carried out. Just these years the scientific school headed by Professor S. Shahoyants was formed. The general principles of the techniques for regional hydrogeological mapping and quantifying hydrogeological conditions were formulated; this was reflected and further developed in the dissertation thesis submitted, particularly, by V.A. Grygorovich, V.A. Prikhodko, M.P. Kondratenko, I.M. Chernenko, O.M. Lypatskova. Detailed regional characteristics of groundwater on Northern Caucasus, southern Ukraine and other areas are still of importance in addressing the issues of water supply for settlements, industrial and agricultural facilities, as well as irrigation engineering.

Since the middle of 1960s the issues related to the coal mines of Western Donbass were becoming of significant importance for research activities of the Department. The researchers studied the factors influencing water inflow in mines and developed predictive methods for draining mines (S.A. Shagoyants, O.M. Antroptsev, V.A. Grygorovych, V.A. Prikhodko, Ye.A. Yakovlev). The results were used by the projecting institute "Dniprogiproshaht" for designing mines.

In 1970-80s the hydrogeological, engineering and geological studies related to various areas of economic activity in the country were accomplished. These included evaluation and prediction of the impact of economic activity on groundwater and surface water bodies, development of the measures to protect water resources and their management in mining lands and areas affected by intensive industrial charge (Donbass, Western Donbas, Dniprobas, Lviv-Volyn coal basin, Zaporizhzhya iron ore district, southern regions of Ukraine located within the hydrogeological basin of the Black Sea depression). The consequences of industrial activities from the viewpoint or environmental hydrogeology were predicted for densely populated areas of Ukraine in these studies. (Yu.I. Antonov, A.M. Antroptsev, L.M. Chertkov, T.D. Prokopenko, V.G. Pasichny, A.I. Sharov, E.A. Maksimova).

In that period were also accomplished the applied researches related to hydrogeological and geotechnical studies for the projects of building and reconstruction of large industrial and hydropower facilities (nuclear power plants, heat power plant, Dnieper-Donets and North-Crimean channels); their impact on the hydrogeological conditions on surrounding areas were predicted (Yu.I. Antonov, V.A. Prikhodko, V.D. Kraschenko).

Since the Department foundation till the middle of 1980s the scientific school of studying regional and local flows and geotechnical conditions on the base of well-founded mapping techniques and systematic analysis of geological and hydrogeological information has been formed and developed.

Since the middle of 1980s and nowadays the research activity of the Department staff is focusing on prediction and control of geo-mechanical and transport processes in geotechnical systems using physical and mathematical modeling (I.O. Sadovenko, V.G. Pasichny, D.V. Rudakov , V.I. Tymoshchuk, A.M. Zahrytsenko, N.O. Maksimova-Gulyaeva, V.V. Tishkov, O.V. Inkin). In these studies a geotechnical system is considered as a multi-level and multi-scale object with complex physical and chemical processes; it includes three phase natural media and engineering structures both on the surface and underground. The fundamentals of hydro-geo-mechanical processes around mines have been developed in the doctoral thesis of I.A. Sadovenko.

Later the patterns of functioning geotechnical systems with various man-made impacts of engineering structures were revealed. The subjects of research were the flow properties of rocks in mines of Western Donbass, geo-mechanical stability and structural factors influencing loess soil stability, changes in groundwater behaviour while closing mines in the central region of Donbass, technological measures aimed at reducing water inflows into underground excavations, physical, chemical and gas-dynamic parameters of the mines being flooded, radiological parameters of rocks affected by nuclear explosion (site "Clivazh"), thermodynamic and geochemical factors of underground coal gasification, etc.

These research efforts enabled identifying the modern scientific school of the Department as mining hydrogeology and environmental hydrogeology based on the study of hydro-geo-mechanics and physical chemistry in disturbed rocks. The gained results were crucial for the Department as an active participant in domestic industrial and international projects. In 1998-2001 the researchers of the Department accomplished the project "RUMBUSS" together with the research institutions from Germany and England (the research supervisor from the National Mining University was Prof. Sadovenko I.O.). The project was aimed at creation of artificial topsoil on the surface of mine dumps. In the same period, fluid and gas flows around underground gas generators were studied jointly with the Department of Underground Mining of NMU for a Japanese power generating company.

The contribution of the Department staff (I.A. Sadovenko, D.V. Rudakov) was decisive for writing the proposal to establish the first Ukrainian research and educational center at NMU. As a result of competition organized jointly by the Ministry of Education and Sciences of Ukraine and the Civilian Research and Development Foundation CRDF U.S. the project "Geotechnical System Stability: Processes, Phenomena, Risks" was awarded and now is successfully functioning at NMU as the Research and Education Center (REC), where the Deputy Director responsible for External Links is Prof. D.V. Rudakov.

Numerous projects in various engineering applications determine the Department staff as a leading regional research team in the field of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology. Prof. I.O. Sadovenko was the head of the expert council in Dnipropetrovsk on building under complex engineering and geological conditions. The issues of mining under complex geological conditions are examined by thorough expertise; the controversial issues of man-made impacts on the geological environment are studied and solved.

Research are carried out using modern equipment and techniques such as spectrophotometer (Shimadzu, Japan), device for three-axial testing soils TriSCAN (VJTech, UK), computer programs MODFLOW (Schlumberger W.S., Canada) for modeling hydrogeological processes and "Geomechanica" for simulations in soil and rock mechanics.

The results of Department research projects are constantly reported at international conferences abroad (Kraków, Munich. Chisinau, Manama, Denver, Moscow, and others.); they are published in important international journals (Balkema, IOS Press, Springer editions). The high level of scientific expertise is confirmed by successful participation of the Department staff in the internship programs of DAAD and DFG at the Universities of Munich, Stuttgart and Muenster (Rudakov D.V.), Stuttgart (Zagrytsenko A.M.).

Scientific and practical achievements of the Department were awarded by 17 patents, which is an important indicator for geological sciences. Prof. I.A. Sadovenko was awarded by the diploma for scientific discovery and the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology, and the State Award "Honored Scientist of Ukraine".

The State Prize of Ukraine (1998) was awarded for participating in "Development and implementation of methods and technologies for geological environment preservation and ensuring the completeness of efficient, energy-saving extraction of coal reserves in Western Donbass".

The discovery "The pattern of declining radioactivity in man-made uranium formations treated by bacterial leaching" (diploma № 261, discovery priority on December 26, 2003) became an important scientific result gained jointly by researchers and industrialists. According to the discovered pattern the alternative technology for disposal of radioactive uranium from the destroyed Chernobyl reactor considered as a man-made deposit of complex form has been scientifically justified.

Important theoretical and applied aspects of the modern scientific school of the Department were developed in four doctoral dissertations under scientific consulting of Prof. I.A. Sadovenko. The doctoral thesis of V.G. Pasichnyy (1998), D.V. Rudakov (2007), and Ya.B. Petrivskyy (2009) importantly contributed to modern theoretical basics of environmental hydrogeology, flow and mass transport in man-disturbed rocks. M.G. Lustyuk (2009) has developed scientific basis of mechanical and hydraulic mining technology on amber deposits in Ukraine.

HEADS OF DEPARTMENT

Gembytskyy Sergei Samuilovich

Graduated Katerynoslavskyy Mining Institute in 1912, junior assistant (1912), senior lecturer (1913), Assistant Professor (1915), Associate Professor (1920), Professor (1925). 

The main scientific activities were mining hydrogeology, hydrogeological, engineering and geological substantiation of the projects for building industrial plants and hydropower facilities (Kryvoy Rog Metallurgical Plant, DniproGES and others); exploration of groundwater for industrial purposes.

He headed the Department of general geology and hydrogeology in 1925-1935, the Department of hydrogeology and engineering geology in 1935-1937, he was the dean of surveying and exploration faculties in the 1928-1932. He worked at the Institute in 1912-1937.

Skaballanovych Ivan Antonovich

He graduated from the Tymeryazivska academy in 1929, Associate Professor (1936), Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Professor.

The main research areas were prediction of ground water rising and abrasion of banks on Kremenchug and Kahovske water reservoirs, substantiation of the measures to protect Nikopol manganese deposits from flooding.

He headed the Department in 1938-1941 and 1944-1949.

Shagoyants Sergei Artemovych

He graduated from the hydrogeological branch of the North Caucasus Geological Institute (Novocherkassk) in 1931, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences (1948), Professor (1950).

The main research activities were solving theoretical problems of groundwater formation and zonal distribution, regional hydrogeological mapping techniques, studying hydrogeological conditions on the South of Ukraine and Northern Caucasus mineral waters; studying the factors influencing groundwater inflows into the mines of Western Donbass.

He headed the Department in 1950-1974.

He worked at Dnipropetrovsk Mining Institute in 1950-1977.  

Antonov Yuriy Ivanovich

He graduated from Dnipropetrovsk State University in 1958, Ph.D. in Geology and Mineralogy (1970), Associate Professor (1974), Professor (1985), academician of the International Academy of Ecology and Life Safety (2000), Professor Emeritus of National Mining University (2004), and Dean of the Faculty of Geological Prospecting from 1974 to 2007.

The main research activities were searching, exploration and evaluation of groundwater reservoirs and resources, irrigation of agricultural lands, solving environmental problems of mining lands.

He headed the Department in 1974-1985.

He worked from 1970 to 2010. 

Prikhodko Vitaliy Antonovich

He graduated from Dnepropetrovsk Mining Institute in 1953, Ph. D of geological and mineralogical sciences, Associate Professor.

The main scientific activities related to hydrogeological and geotechnical studies for the projects of building and restoration of large industrial plants and hydropower facilities (thermal power plants, hydropower plants, Dnieper-Donets and North-Crimean channels), assessment of their impact on hydrogeological conditions of surrounding areas.

He headed the department from 1985 to 1987.

Antroptsev Alexander Mikhailovich

He graduated from Leningrad Mining Institute in 1958, Ph. D of geological and mineralogical sciences, Associate Professor.

Major research areas were assessment and prediction the impact of industries on groundwater and surface water bodies, elaboration of measures to protect water resources, their management, development of electronic data banks, monitoring of surface and ground waters, environmental problems of mining lands.

He headed the Department from 1987 to 2000. 

Sadovenko Ivan Oleksandrovych

He graduated from Dnipropetrovsk Mining Institute in 1971, Doctor of technical sciences, Professor, academician of the Academy of Engineering Sciences of Ukraine, laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine, Honored Scientist of Ukraine.

The main scientific activities are studying geo-mechanical conditions, fluid and gas flows within complex geotechnical systems. One of the research works is dedicated to the pattern of reducing radioactivity in uranium man-made formations by bacterial leaching (2004).

He headed the Department from 2000 to 2012. He works since 1987.