Rola i zadania Instytutu Geologicznego w badaniach•geologicznych Polski

Abstract

SIGNIFICANCE AND TASK OF THE GEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE IN GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN POLANDIn May 1959, there ended 40 years of the activity of the Geological Institute which, during this period, has been the largest and the leading center of scientific research. The task of the Institute is the investigation of the geological structure and the mineral resources of Poland.In the period between both world wars, the Geological Institute, notwithstanding undisputed considerable achievements, failed to fulfill in a satisfactory manner its task; the number of Polish geologists was too limited, their financial resources too scanty. The recent period of 15 years has been, in spite of difficult conditions, more propitious for the expansion of geological research, and the results obtained in this .period have been remarkable indeed.The results of these latter investigations have been discussed in the present paper which sets forth a survey of the development and of today's status of the knowledge of geological structure of Poland, and reports on the discovery of many new deposits of mineral raw materials. First in significance are new deposits of brown coal and of iron and copper ores. Of great importance too is the discovery of sulphur deposits, of potassium and rock salt deposits, and of numerous rock raw materials.At present, the Geological Institute is facing further phases of its heretofore work, as well as novel tasks; most important among them is the problem of such raw materials as are most disastrously lacking in. Poland's national economy, i. e. crude oil, natural gas, and iron ores.