Geological Survey of Pakistan

File:GeologicalSurveyIndia1870.jpg and BGS in 1851.]]

As early as 1836–51, the British crown government decided to set up the geological survey to explore the British Indian Empire under the British geologist David Williams who later founded the Geological Survey of India.[http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/0007/bsb00079409/images/ copy in Bavarian State Library (also Horizontal and Vertical Sections)]

After the independence of Pakistan from the British Indian Empire, the Geological Survey of India's north-west branch, staff and assets were evolved into creating to Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP).{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rQypxEfL8XEC&q=geological+survey+of+pakistan+1947&pg=PA192 |title=The challenge of development : theory and practice in human resource management |publisher=AldineTransaction |year=2008 |isbn=978-0202362267 |editor-last=Ward |editor-first=Richard J. |location=Piscataway, N.J.}}

At the time of its establishment, the GSP had consisted of only six geologists and two chemists under British scientist H.L. Crookshank, who was at that time was the most senior scientist working. Immediately, H.L. Crookshank was appointed first director general of GSP which he remained until 1955. Under Crookshank, the technical staff was increased to 30 geoscientists in 1948. In its formative years, the GSP did the pioneering work in hydrogeology and engineering but the efforts were transfer to engineering units of the military.{{cite web|title=Historical perspective |url=http://gsp.gov.pk/about/historical_prespective.html |work=Govt. Pakistan |publisher=archives of the GSP |access-date=14 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215053249/http://gsp.gov.pk/about/historical_prespective.html |archive-date=February 15, 2009 }} In 1949–55, the GSP initiated a rigorous tradition of field investigations with the governmental support, and reconnaissance technology was transferred to GSP through the Colombo Plan. Due to these activities, it increased the operational, scientific capabilities, and expansion of facilities of the GSP by 1956; it became one of the pioneering scientific institution of the government. In 1955, English geologist, E.R. Gee, took over the GSP who initiated a massive expansion programme for GSP, including engineering, photogeology sections, as well as systematic publications journals were established. In 1959, the construction of new headquarters in Quetta was completed with Dr. N.M. Khan becoming first native GSP's director.

File:Paktopo de.jpg of Pakistan.]]

By 1956, the GSP worked extremely close with the United States Geological Survey (USGS); the USGS established multimillion-dollar work laboratories and facilities in all over the country and cooperation continued until 1970.{{cite journal|last=Calkins|first=James A.|author2=S. Jamiluddin |author3=Kamaluddin Bhuyan |author4=Ahmad Hussain |title=Geology and Mineral Resources of the Chitral-Partsan area, Hindu Kash to Northern Pakistan|journal=Geological Survey Professional Paper 716-G|year=1970s|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pEzwAAAAMAAJ&q=geological+survey+of+pakistan+Director+generals&pg=PR3}} In 1957, the GSP discovered the large stockpiles of uranium in Sindh and Punjab.{{cite web|last=Mian|first=Zia|title=Exploring Uranium Resource Constraints on Fissile Material Production in Pakistan|url=http://www.princeton.edu/sgs/publications/sgs/archive/17-2-3-Mian-Nay-Raj.pdf|work=The Princeton University|publisher=Princeton University Press|access-date=18 January 2014|author2=A. H. Nayyar}} In addition, the GSP helped established country's universities to teach geoscience and engineering as part of their university programmes.

In the 1970s, due to its expansion and scientific capabilities, the GSP was instrumental in carrying out work on nuclear geography, when its scientists frequently visited in various mountain ranges of the country. The GSP notably carried out an ingenious work on nuclear geology and geography as part of the clandestine atomic bomb project, and played an integral role in the selection of the test sites.{{cite news|last=Saleh|first=R. M.|title=When Mountain Moves|url=http://www.nation.com.pk/|access-date=14 January 2014|newspaper=The Nation|date=9 May 1999}} Throughout this time, the GSP's scientists continued exploring uranium and plutonium, as well as other material sources in all over the country.

In 1992, The GSP announced the discovery of the huge deposits of coal at Thar Desert in Sindh.{{cite web|title=Thar Coal Power Generation|url=http://www.embassyofpakistanusa.org/forms/Thar%20Coal%20Power%20Generation.pdf|work=Govt of Pakistan|publisher=Embassy of Pakistan, Washington D.C.|access-date=18 January 2014|display-authors=etal|archive-date=22 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122023658/http://www.embassyofpakistanusa.org/forms/Thar%20Coal%20Power%20Generation.pdf|url-status=dead}} The GSP sponsored and published various studies on the geology of Thar Desert.{{cite web|author=|title=Discovery Of Ignite Coal In Thar Desert|url=http://www.gsp.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30:thar-coal&catid=1:data|work=Govt. Pakistan|publisher=GSP, Pakistan|access-date=18 January 2014}} In the 1990s, the GSP issued and produced several maps of atlas of Pakistan, with mapping at 1:1 000 000 scale and a variety of themes published at 1:5 000 000.{{cite book|last=Parry|first=Robert B.|title=World mapping today|year=2000|publisher=Bowker-Saur, 2000|edition=2}} Economic liberalization policies of government in 1992 led the ADB to sponsor a 10-year-long multibillion-dollar mineral exploration programme to cover 14 identified mineralized zones in the country.{{cite book|last=Brown|first=Charles E.|title=World energy resources : International Geohydroscience and Energy Research Institute; with 44 tables|year=2002|publisher=Springer|location=Berlin [u.a.]|isbn=978-3540426349|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WLC7CdLOZosC&q=geological+survey+of+pakistan+1990s&pg=PA768}} In the 1990s, the GSP also discovered the large deposits of Gold and Copper in Western Balochistan, southwest Pakistan.

In the 2000s, the GSP gained international and public prominence when its scientists discovered and unearthed the first ever dinosaur fossils in Pakistan. The remains were thought to be around ~70 million years old and were found by geologists mapping the Barkhan district of the country's arid Balochistan province. The specimens include legs and vertebrae.{{cite news|author= writer|title=First dinosaur find in Pakistan|newspaper=BBC Pakistan|date=2 December 2000}}

File:Historic pakistan rel96.JPG

Geological Survey of Pakistan Headquarter is located in western city of Pakistan, Quetta. Different branch located in GSP headquarter are given below:

1. Directorate of Planning and Information
2. Directorate of Headquarter
3. Directorate of Publication
4. Directorate of Paleontology and Stratigraphy
5. Directorate of Petrology and Mineralogy
6. Directorate of Drilling
7. Geophysical Division
8. Geochemistry Division
9. Deputy Directorate General Western Zone
10. Transport Branch
11. Hydrogeology Branch

• 1947–55 H.L. Crookshank
• 1955–59 E.R. Gee
• 1959-1967 Nur M. Khan
• 1967–72 Abdul Mannan Khan
• 1972–77 M. Mohammad Sharif
• 1977-79 A.N. Khan{{cite journal |title=Postilla|journal=Journal of Peabody Museum of Natural History|year=1979|volume=171|issue=191}}
• 1979–84 M. Mohammad Sharif
• 1984–93 Asrarullah Ahmed{{cite book|editor-last=Miller|editor-first= K.J.|title=The International Karakoram Project|year=1984|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=978-0521263399}}
• 1993–2000 Abdul Latif Ghulam{{cite journal |year=1993 |title=Records of the Geological Survey of Pakistan |journal=Records of the Geological Survey of Pakistan, Geological Survey of Pakistan |volume=93 |issue=40}}
• 2000-03: Abdul Latif
• 2003–05: Ahmad Hussain
• 2005-10: Mirza Talib Hassan
• 2010- 2017: Imran Khan
• 2017: Nazar-ul-Islam
• 2018: Mrs Yasmeen Rizvi
• 2018: Dr. Tanveer Ahmad Qureshi

The GSP researchers, engineers, technicians, and scientists publish the results of their science in a variety of ways. Many researchers publish their science in peer-reviewed scientific journals as well as in one of a variety of series that includes series for preliminary results, maps data, and final results. All publications are published by the GSP and are available as public domains.{{cite web|title=Latest Research Publications|url=http://www.gsp.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56:latest-research-publications&catid=2:publicationnews|work=Govt Pakistan|publisher=Geological Survey, Research|access-date=18 January 2014}}

Regional Offices of GSP

1. Deputy Directorate General South Zone, Karachi:
2. Deputy Directorate General North Zone, Lahore:
3. Directorate Geosciences Advanced Research Laboratory
4. Regional Office Director Geological Survey Of Pakistan, Peshawar
5. Northern Area Regional Office Directorate GSP, Islamabad.
6. Directorate Regional Office, GSP, Muzaffarabad

{{Main|2005 Pakistan earthquake|2010 Pakistan floods|2012 Siachen Glacier avalanche}}

In 2006, the Geological Survey's two scientists published an assessed report, predicting the hydrological threat posed to the country.{{cite news|last=Adams|first=David|title=Flash flood threat to Pakistan quake survivors|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2006/feb/11/pakistan.naturaldisasters|access-date=18 January 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|date=10 February 2006}} The survey was conducted immediately after the devastated earthquake in 2005, and the GSP's scientists began to study the hazards in the region, which were still geologically unstable.

In 2009, the GSP submitted another report that recommended the potentially hazardous areas of Northern Pakistan where the earthquake and seismic activities were suspected. The survey also found out that the earthquake cracks were found in all over the Atta Abad lake region. The GSP declared the eastern part of the Atta Abad as "High Hazard" area, and recommendations were submitted to evacuate the area.{{cite web|title=Causative Mechanisms of Hunza Valley|url=http://www.ndma.gov.pk/Documents/Hunza_Landslide_Report/Report%20of%20Geological%20Survey%20of%20Pakistan%20in%20Pre%20disaster%20period%20of%20Hunza%20Attabad%20Landslide.pdf|publisher=GSP Pakistan, 2009|access-date=18 January 2014|display-authors=etal|archive-date=2 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202124316/http://www.ndma.gov.pk/Documents/Hunza_Landslide_Report/Report%20of%20Geological%20Survey%20of%20Pakistan%20in%20Pre%20disaster%20period%20of%20Hunza%20Attabad%20Landslide.pdf|url-status=dead}}

• Saindak Copper Gold Project
• Thar Coalfield

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.gsp.gov.pk/ Official site]
• Listed in [http://dmoz.pk/Government/Ministries/Petroleum-Natural-Resources/Geological-Survey-of-Pakistan-l748.html Dmoz.pk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106102214/http://www.dmoz.pk/Government/Ministries/Petroleum-Natural-Resources/Geological-Survey-of-Pakistan-l748.html |date=2012-11-06 }}

{{Ministry of Energy (Pakistan)}}

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Category:Quetta District

Category:Pakistan federal departments and agencies

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Category:Research institutes in Pakistan

Category:Science and technology in Pakistan

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Category:Historical geography of Pakistan

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Category:Organisations based in Quetta

Category:1947 establishments in Pakistan

Category:Government agencies established in 1947