Spending some time in the field. Fieldwork in the Portuguese Geological Survey during the twentieth century

Abstract

The practice and methods of geological fieldwork in the Portuguese Geological Survey evolved during the middle part of the twentieth century. Between the 1920s and the 1940s, the Survey's field assistants played a key role in conducting geological fieldwork; special attention will be given to their training. In 1940, Georges Zbyzsewski (1909-1999) was hired as a geologist by the Survey and he was responsible for conducting the majority of fieldwork. Scientific collaborators from outside the Survey also began to play a key role in the institution. From the 1950s onwards, several new specialities were hired by the Survey, especially geologists and field assistants. The pace of geological fieldwork recorded an unprecedented increase. The characteristics of the teams that carried out this task in the Survey were instrumental in this achievement.