https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Kunchithapadam_GopalanKunchithapadam Gopalan - Revision history2026-07-31T04:54:54ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Kunchithapadam_Gopalan&diff=118967&oldid=prev>Citation bot at 11:03, 4 June 20212021-06-04T11:03:58Z<p></p>
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{{Infobox scientist<br />
| name = Kunchithapadam Gopalan<br />
| image = <br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = <br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1938|8|12}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Tamil Nadu]], India<br />
| death_date = <br />
| death_place = <br />
| residence = <br />
| nationality = [[Indian nationality|Indian]]<br />
| fields = {{ublist | [[Geochronology]] }}<br />
| workplaces = {{ublist | [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]] | [[Physical Research Laboratory]] | [[National Geophysical Research Institute]] }}<br />
| alma_mater = {{ublist | [[Madras University]] | [[Andhra University]] | [[Indian Institute of Science]] }}<br />
| doctoral_advisor = {{ublist| V. S. Venkatasubramanian | [[George Wetherill]] }}<br />
| doctoral_students = <br />
| known_for = Studies on the chronologies of rock suites of the Indian subcontinent<br />
| awards = {{ublist | 1982&nbsp;[[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]] | 1982&nbsp;[[Krishnan Medal]] | 1991&nbsp;Eminent Mass Spectrometrist Award}}<br />
}}<br />
'''Kunchithapadam Gopalan''' (born 1938) is an Indian [[geochronologist]] and an emeritus scientist at [[National Geophysical Research Institute]].<ref name="Emeritus Scientists">{{Cite web |url=http://www.csir.res.in/External/Heads/aboutcsir/lab_phone/2006%23%23%23%23/pdf/ngri.pdf |title=Emeritus Scientists |date=2016 |publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100405081609/http://www.csir.res.in/External/Heads/aboutcsir/lab_phone/2006/ |archive-date=2010-04-05 }}</ref> He is known for his studies on the chronologies of critical rock suites of the Indian subcontinent<ref name="Brief Profile of the Awardee">{{Cite web |url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/content/Detail.aspx?AID=465 |title=Brief Profile of the Awardee |date=2016 |publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize |access-date=12 November 2016}}</ref> and is an elected fellow of the [[Indian Academy of Sciences]],<ref name="Fellow profile">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ias.ac.in/describe/fellow/Gopalan,_Prof._Kunchithapadam |title=Fellow profile |date=2016 |publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences |access-date=12 November 2016}}</ref> [[Indian National Science Academy]],<ref name="Indian fellow">{{Cite web |url=http://insaindia.res.in/detail.php?id=N86-0932 |title=Indian fellow |date=2016 |publisher=Indian National Science Academy}}</ref> [[Indian Geophysical Union]] and the [[National Academy of Sciences, India]].<ref name="NASI fellows">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasi.org.in/Year%20Book%202015.pdf |title=NASI fellows |date=2016 |publisher=National Academy of Sciences, India |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150806211716/http://www.nasi.org.in/Year%20Book%202015.pdf |archive-date=2015-08-06 }}</ref> The [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]], the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology]], one of the highest Indian science awards for his contributions to earth, atmosphere, ocean and planetary sciences in 1982.<ref name="View Bhatnagar Awardees">{{cite web | url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/Content/AwardeeList.aspx | title=View Bhatnagar Awardees | publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize | date=2016 | access-date=12 November 2016}}</ref><br />
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== Biography ==<br />
[[File:University of Madras Entrance Arch at Chepauk Campus.JPG|thumb|235px|left|University of Madras entrance]]<br />
K. Gopalan, born on 12 August 1938 in the south Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]], graduated in physics (Bsc hons) from the [[University of Madras]] in 1959 and completed his master's degree in nuclear physics from [[Andhra University]] in 1960, standing first in the university.<ref name="Indian fellow" /> Enrolling at the [[Indian Institute of Science]] for his doctoral studies, he secured a PhD in 1966, working under the guidance of V. S. Venkatasubramanian and moved to the [[University of California, Los Angeles]] where he did his postdoctoral studies at the laboratory of [[George Wetherill]] on meteorites and lunar samples. On his return to India, he joined [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]] in 1970 but moved to [[Physical Research Laboratory]] in 1973. His next move was to the [[National Geophysical Research Institute]] (NGRI) where he served for the rest of his career and after his superannuation in 1998, he continues his association with the institute as its emeritus scientist.<ref name="Emeritus Scientists" /><br />
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== Legacy ==<br />
[[File:Mare Tranquillitatis.jpg|thumb|235px|The Sea of Tranquility of the Moon]]<br />
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After his early studies on meteorites and lunar samples, Gopalan's focus shifted during his PRL days to geochronology. His work has been primarily in the field of [[geochronology]] and he is known to have conducted extensive studies on the chronologies of several critical rock suites of the Indian subcontinent for which he developed custom-built equipment.<ref name="Handbook of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Winners">{{cite web | url=http://www.csirhrdg.res.in/ssb.pdf | title=Handbook of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Winners | publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | date=1999 | access-date=16 December 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043957/http://www.csirhrdg.res.in/ssb.pdf | archive-date=4 March 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref> He worked on the [[precambrian]] [[Rajasthan]] and [[Madhya Pradesh]] using [[Rb-Sr dating]] techniques with mass spectrometer as well as the volcanic rocks of the [[Deccan plateau]] and his researches have assisted in a wider understanding of the ages of solid bodies in the solar system and basaltic [[volcanism]] in [[Mare Tranquillitatis]]. He is credited with the setting up of a mass spectrometer, a facility for [[Argon–argon dating]] of rocks, and an isotope facility at Physical Research Laboratory, a geochronology laboratory at National geophysical Research Institute and an Accelerator [[Mass Spectrometer]] for [[radiocarbon dating]] at the [[Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar]], the first such facility in India. His studies have been detailed in several peer reviewed articles;<ref name="Browse by Fellow">{{Cite web |url=http://repository.ias.ac.in/view/fellows/Gopalan=3AKunchithapadam=3A=3A.html |title=Browse by Fellow |date=2016 |publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences}}</ref>{{Refn|group=note|Please see ''Selected bibliography'' section}} a number of them have been listed by online article repositories such as [[ResearchGate]]<ref name="On ResearchGate">{{Cite web |url=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kunchithapadam_Gopalan |title=ResearchGate |date=2016 }}</ref> and [[Google Scholar]].<ref name="On Google Scholar">{{Cite web |url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=OKwmVi0AAAAJ&hl=en |title=On Google Scholar |date=2016 |publisher=Google Scholar}}</ref> He has been associated with many science journals including the ''Academy Proceedings in Earth and Planetary Sciences'' as a member of their editorial boards<ref>{{cite book|title=Academy Proceedings in Earth and Planetary Sciences|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OslNAQAAIAAJ|year=2004|publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences}}</ref> and has delivered several invited or plenary lectures.<ref name="Lectures by Visiting Scientists">{{Cite web |url=http://ns1.wihg.res.in/news_archieve_04-05.html |title=Lectures by Visiting Scientists |date=2016 |publisher=Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology}}</ref><ref name="Evaluative Report of the Department">{{Cite web |url=http://www.caluniv.ac.in/SSR/NAAC%20PDF%20Folder/Geology.pdf |title=Evaluative Report of the Department |date=2016 |publisher=University of Calcutta |access-date=16 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220180939/http://www.caluniv.ac.in/SSR/NAAC%20PDF%20Folder/Geology.pdf |archive-date=20 December 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> <br />
His work has been cited by many authors<ref name="Mitchell2004">{{cite book|author=R. H. Mitchell|title=8th International Kimberlite Conference: Selected Papers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tKkzpmuf-hsC&pg=PA548|year=2004|publisher=Gulf Professional Publishing|isbn=978-0-444-51775-3|pages=548–}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Sanchaya: Bibliography of Indian Geology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pji7AAAAIAAJ|year=1991|publisher=Geological Society of India}}</ref><ref name="Thakur1992">{{cite book|author=V. C. Thakur|title=Geology of Western Himalaya|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L7QfAQAAIAAJ|year=1992|publisher=Pergamon Press|isbn=9780080422060}}</ref> and he has also mentored 8 doctoral scholars in their studies.<ref name="Indian fellow" /><br />
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== Awards and honours ==<br />
Gopalan, a [[Fulbright scholar]] during this doctoral studies, received the [[Krishnan Medal]] of the [[Indian Geophysical Union]] in 1982.<ref name="Krishnan Medal">{{Cite web |url=http://www.igu.in/awards.htm |title=Krishnan Medal |date=2016 |publisher=Indian Geophysical Union}}</ref> The [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]] awarded him the [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]], one of the highest Indian science awards, the same year.<ref name="Earth Sciences">{{Cite web|url=http://www.csir.res.in/External/Heads/career/award/BPRIZE/Earth_SCIENCES.htm |title=Earth Sciences |date=2016 |publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200915/http://www.csir.res.in/external/heads/career/award/BPRIZE/Earth_SCIENCES.htm |archive-date=2016-03-03 }}</ref> He was awarded the Eminent Mass Spectrometrist Award of the Indian Society for Mass Spectrometry in 1991.<ref name="Eminent Mass Spectrometrist Award">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ismas.org/pastawards_eminent.aspx |title=Eminent Mass Spectrometrist Award |date=2016 |publisher=Indian Society for Mass Spectrometry}}</ref> The Indian Academy of Sciences elected him as a fellow in 1986, followed by Indian National Science Academy in 1986, Indian Geophysical Union in 1988 and the [[National Academy of Sciences, India]] in 1992.<ref name="NASI fellows" /><br />
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== Selected bibliography ==<br />
* {{Cite journal |author1=K. Gopalan |author2=J. R. Trivedi |author3=M. N. Balasubrahmanyan |author4=S. K. Ray |author5=C. Anjaneya Sastry |title=Rb-Sr Chronology of the Khetri Copper Belt, Rajasthan |journal=Geological Society of India |date=September 1979 |volume=20 |issue=9 }}<br />
* {{Cite journal |author1=R. Murari |author2=P. Krishnamurthy |author3=P. I. Tikhonenko |author4=K. Gopalan |title=Magnesian Ilmenites in Picrite Basalts from Siberian and Deccan Traps—Additional Mineralogical Evidence for Primary Melt Compositions(?) |journal=Mineralogical Magazine |date=December 1993 |volume=57 |issue=389 |pages=733–735 |doi=10.1180/minmag.1993.057.389.18 |bibcode=1993MinM...57..733M }}<br />
* {{Cite journal |author1=Kunchithapadam Gopalan |author2=J. Douglas Macdougall |author3=Christopher Macisaac |title=High Precision Determination of 48Ca/42Ca Ratio by TIMS for Ca Isotope Fractionation Studies |journal=Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research |date=September 2007 |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=227–236 |doi=10.1111/j.1751-908X.2007.00847.x}}<br />
* {{Cite journal |last=K. Gopalan |title=A Simple Chemical Resistant Hotplate for Geochemical Applications |journal=Geological Society of India |date=April 2013 |volume=81 |issue=4 }}<br />
* {{Cite journal |author1=K. Gopalan |author2=A. Kumar |author3=S. Kumar |author4=B. Vijayagopal |title=Depositional history of the Upper Vindhyan succession, central India: Time constraints from Pb–Pb isochron ages of its carbonate components |journal=Precambrian Research |date=August 2013 |volume=233 |pages=108–117 |doi=10.1016/j.precamres.2013.04.014|bibcode=2013PreR..233..108G }}<br />
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== See also ==<br />
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}<br />
* [[George Wetherill]]<br />
* [[Mare Tranquillitatis]]<br />
* [[Rb-Sr dating]]<br />
* [[Argon–argon dating]]<br />
{{div col end}}<br />
{{portal|India|Geology}}<br />
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== Notes ==<br />
{{reflist|group=note}}<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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== External links ==<br />
* {{Cite web |url=http://www.ngri.org.in/honors.html |title=Honors at NGRI |date=2016 |publisher=National Geophysical Research Institute|work=List of recipients}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=C. Prasad|title=Elementary Exercises in Geology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-bjXLerzc1wC&pg=PR15|date=1 November 2005|publisher=Universities Press|isbn=978-81-7371-502-0|pages=15–}}<br />
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== Further reading ==<br />
* {{Cite journal |url=http://repository.ias.ac.in/634/1/634.pdf |author1=Anil KUmar |author2=Y. J. Bhaskar Rao |author3=V. M. Padma Kumari |author4=A. M. Dayal |author5=K. Gopalan |title=Late Cretaceous mafic dykes in the Dharwar craton (full text) |journal=Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Earth Planet. Sci.) |date=July 1988 |volume=97 |issue=1 |pages=107–114 |doi=10.1007/BF02861631|doi-broken-date=31 May 2021 }}<br />
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{{SSBPST recipients in Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean & Planetary Sciences}}<br />
{{Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Laureates of Tamil Nadu}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gopalan, Kunchithapadam}}<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean & Planetary Sciences]]<br />
[[Category:1938 births]]<br />
[[Category:Indian scientific authors]]<br />
[[Category:Indian geologists]]<br />
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian Academy of Sciences]]<br />
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy]]<br />
[[Category:Fellows of The National Academy of Sciences, India]]<br />
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian Geophysical Union]]<br />
[[Category:University of Madras alumni]]<br />
[[Category:Andhra University alumni]]<br />
[[Category:Indian Institute of Science alumni]]<br />
[[Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni]]<br />
[[Category:Tata Institute of Fundamental Research faculty]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:Scientists from Tamil Nadu]]</div>>Citation bot