The research activities of the Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection encompass both fundamental and applied research concerning the structure and evolution of the Earth, the exploration and sustainable use of its resources, environmental protection, and the development of modern technologies supporting the energy transition.
The Faculty’s main areas of research include:
- investigating the geological structure of the Earth’s crust and deeper subsurface, reconstructing tectonic, sedimentary, magmatic and metamorphic processes, and studying the history of the natural environment;
- exploring, documenting, assessing and protecting mineral, energy and critical raw material deposits, as well as analysing opportunities for their rational and sustainable use;
mineralogical, petrological and geochemical studies of rocks, minerals, ores, soils, sediments and waste materials, including mineral transformations, the physicochemical properties of materials, and processes occurring at the mineral–water–environment interface;
- geophysical and petrophysical research, including the development of methods for investigating geological structures, prospecting for mineral deposits, monitoring geodynamic processes, and assessing natural and human-induced hazards;
- hydrogeology and engineering geology, including the assessment of groundwater resources and quality, groundwater flow modelling, protection of water intakes, analysis of contamination, and investigation of geological and engineering conditions;
- comprehensive environmental assessment, including studies of water, soils, sediments, dust and other environmental components, pollution monitoring, environmental and health risk assessment, and the development of methods for the remediation and reclamation of degraded areas;
- mineral resource and waste management, recovery of valuable elements, development of sorbents and functional materials, and technologies aimed at reducing the mobility and toxicity of pollutants;
- renewable and low-carbon energy, in particular geothermal energy, heat pumps, solar energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, and the circular management of water and energy resources;
geological and environmental cartography, geotourism, the protection of geological heritage, and the assessment and redevelopment of post-mining areas;
- geoinformatics, remote sensing, spatial data analysis, numerical modelling, image processing, machine learning and artificial intelligence in geological, geophysical, mining and environmental research.
Research is conducted using modern laboratory equipment, field methods, computer modelling and advanced analytical techniques. Its results are applied, among other areas, in mineral and water resource management, energy, environmental protection, the extractive industry, construction, public administration and spatial planning.
