astronomy

Vladimir Sobolev (geologist)

Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) rather than just read about it. In short: Vladimir Stepanovich Sobolev (Russian: Владимир Степанович Соболев; 30 May 1908 – 1 September 1982) was a Soviet geologist, petrologist and mineralogist, Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1966), Hero of Socialist Labour (1978), and laureate of the Lenin Prize and the Stalin Prize. He was one of the founders of modern Soviet petrology and metamorphic geology and a pioneer in applying facies concepts to lar…

Key takeaways

Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Vladimir Stepanovich Sobolev (Russian: Владимир Степанович Соболев; 30 May 1908 – 1 September 1982) was a Soviet geologist, petrologist and mineralogist, Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1966), Hero of Socialist Labour (1978), and laureate of the Lenin Prize and the Stalin Prize. He was one of the founders of modern Soviet petrology and metamorphic geology and a pioneer in applying facies concepts to large-scale geological mapping. Sobolev was the first to predict the presence of diamond-bearing kimberlites in Eastern Siberia, a forecast later confirmed by discoveries in the 1950s.

Biography

Early life and education Sobolev was born on 30 May 1908 in Luhansk, then part of the Russian Empire. He graduated from the Leningrad Mining Institute in 1930. He received the Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences degree in 1938 and became a professor in 1939.

Work in Lviv (1945–1958) After World War II Sobolev worked at the Institute of Mineral Resources of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR and simultaneously served as head of the Chair of Petrology at Lviv State University from 1945 to 1958. His studies during this period expanded the theoretical foundations of metamorphism, mineral equilibria and petrogenesis.

Novosibirsk period (1958–1981) In 1958 Sobolev moved to Novosibirsk and became deputy director of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences. From 1960 he headed the Department of Petrology and Mineralogy of Novosibirsk State University, and from 1962 to 1971 he served as Dean of the Geological Faculty.

Moscow period (1981–1982) In 1981 Sobolev moved to Moscow to become Director of the Fersman Mineralogical Museum of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He died on 1 September 1982 and was buried at the Kuntsevo Cemetery in Moscow.

Family Sister: Olga Stepanovna Soboleva 1912–1989; Wife: Olga Vladimirovna Soboleva (Poplavskaya) 1914–1969; Sons: Nikolay Sobolev 1935–2022, Evgeny Sobolev 1936–1994, Stephan Sobolev 1954, Alexander Sobolev 1954.

Scientific contributions

Prediction of diamond deposits in Siberia Sobolev was one of the first scientists to propose that Eastern Siberia should host diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes, based on petrological and geodynamic reasoning. His recommendations guided geological surveys that led in 1954 to the discovery of the first Yakutian kimberlite pipe and subsequently major diamond deposits.

Metamorphic facies Sobolev was a co-founder of the Soviet school of metamorphic facies. He defined the boundaries of high- and moderate-pressure metamorphic facies, and contributed to the compilation of metamorphic facies maps of the USSR (1966) and Europe (1974).

General and silicate mineralogy Sobolev advanced the theoretical and physico-chemical foundations of mineral equilibria and igneous petrology. His textbooks and monographs, particularly on silicate mineralogy and metamorphic facies, became influential references in Soviet geology.

Major works Petrology of the Traps of the Siberian Platform (1936) Petrology of the Eastern Part of the Korosten Pluton (1947) Introduction to Silicate Mineralogy (1949) — awarded the Stalin Prize (Second Degree) Geology of Diamond Deposits of Africa, Australia, Borneo and North America (1951) Physico-Chemical Foundations of the Petrography of Igneous Rocks (1961, with A. N. Zavaritsky) Facies of Metamorphism (1970) Facies of Regional Metamorphism of Moderate Pressures (1972) Facies of Regional Metamorphism of High Pressures (1974)

Awards and honours Hero of Socialist Labour (1978) Order of Lenin (1967, 1978) Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1955) Lenin Prize (1976) Stalin Prize (Second Degree) (1950) Medal For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945 Honoured Scientist of the Yakut ASSR (1967) President of International Mineralogical Association 1974–1978.

Legacy The Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy (Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk) is named after him. The mineral sobolevite (1983) was named in his honour. A large diamond (59.20 carats) found in 1989 in the Udachnaya pipe was named "Academician Vladimir Sobolev". A scientific prize for young researchers in the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences bears his name. A street in Mirny (Sakha Republic) is named after him. An auditorium at Novosibirsk State University commemorates him.

References

External links Fersman Mineralogical Museum (in Russian) Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy (in Russian)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vladimir Sobolev (geologist)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vladimir Sobolev (geologist)

In research: Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1908 births, 1982 deaths, 20th-century Russian geologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Vladimir Sobolev (geologist)” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) in simple terms?

Why does Vladimir Sobolev (geologist) matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vladimir Sobolev (geologist)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vladimir Sobolev (geologist).