A scientific seminar was held at one of the mining enterprises in the village of Kryvytsia, Dubrovytsia town community “Problems of geological study of amber-bearing subsoil of Polissya”. The event brought together leading Ukrainian geologists working in scientific institutions and conducting research.
On this basis, we have already two years of operation is a branch of the Department of Geology and Hydrology of the National University of Water and Environmental Engineering (NUWEE). This is a unique platform where scientists conduct research directly in the quarry. For students, it is also a great advantageOn-the-job training provides practical experience that cannot be gained in laboratories alone and allows you to immediately apply theoretical knowledge in practice.
Discussions and research
During the seminar, participants discussed the problems faced by the industry. One of the main issues was the state's complete failure to allocate money for the development of geology, despite significant budget revenues from the sale of special permits for subsoil use.
“It has not been funded during the war. Where did the money go? Geologists who used to work in government agencies need to live and eat, they all quit and work for companies, and the services have collapsed,” said Viktor Melnychuk, Head of the Department of Geology and Hydrology of the National University of Geology and Mineral Resources, Doctor of Geological Sciences.
Another problem is special permits with a limited size of up to 10 km². As a result, large deposits are explored in parts, by different users and using different methods.
As a result, geological information is uneven, reserves are estimated according to different conditions, and the data is difficult to generalize.
“They have been studied unevenly, using different approaches and methods. They have small reserves and, most importantly, different conditions,” said Serhiy Volnenko, deputy head of the Rivne Integrated Geological Party of the Ukrainian Geological Company.
Olena Sirenko, a senior researcher at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Ukraine, emphasized that officials do not adequately evaluate research results.
“If a study does not produce an economic effect today, it is useless! They don't understand that this way you can create maps that will be used in a few years and help bring profit. But if there is no money now, then the functionaries think about where to steal elsewhere,” she explained.
International experience and development ideas
The scientists paid special attention to the popularization of science. In Europe, interactive amber museums are successfully operating and are very popular among tourists and researchers.
“There are beautiful reconstructions of the amber forest in Poland. A lot of people come and are interested. The Germans have created a whole reconstruction of the amber deposits in the Butterfield Basin: they showed how the forest grew, how its masses moved, where deposits were formed. This is interesting for both scientists and tourists. We can and should do something similar in Ukraine, which would increase interest in Ukrainian amber and bring additional profit,” explained Olena Remezova, associate professor at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Geological Sciences.
Research at the seminar
After the discussions, the participants went to the quarry to collect samples. In particular, they collected materials for paleontological research to determine the exact age of amber deposits based on the remains of spores and pollen.
In conclusion, the scientists adopted a resolution to State Geological Survey with a proposal to carry out geopredictive mapping at public expense to summarize and systematize information on amber subsoil.
Currently, private subsoil users carry out such work at their own expense, which significantly limits the scope and quality of research.
