Department of Geosciences

Head
Matej Lipar, Ph. D.

Main Research Themes

• Karst geomorphology
• Cryosphere
• Slope processes
• Biogeography
• Palaeoenvironment and palaeoclimate
• Natural disasters

About

The Department of Geosciences deals with Earth's physical features and processes. It focuses on the study of the surface landforms and the processes that shape them (geomorphology), karst landforms and processes (karstology), the study of rocks and sediments (geology), the study of snow cover and ice bodies including glaciers and ice caves (cryosphere science), analysis of past and present atmospheric patterns and phenomena (palaeo-climatology) and distribution and characteristics of flora and fauna based on topography (biogeography).

Dynamic processes such as erosion, landslides, avalanches, floods and seismic activity that constantly shape and change the Earth's surface can also cause damage in some places. Therefore, the Department for Geosciences also operates with the framework which basic orientation is prevention of natural disasters, and the work includes scientific analysis of natural disasters, consideration of the causes and consequences of natural disasters, and the study of society's ability to deal with them, especially from the point of view of adaptation and flexibility.

The research covers a wide range of fieldwork including mapping, water, rock and sediment sampling, monitoring of cave climate, cave and surface ice bodies, and erosion and denudation. The study also covers a wide range of laboratory work, within which the Physical Geography Laboratory operates in the premises of the Barje Research Station. Last but not least, the study also covers the versatile use of geographic information system (GIS) tools, whereby the work of the department is strongly intertwined with the Department of Geoinformation.

The Department of Geosciences has been operating since 2025, formed through the integration of the of the Department of Physical Geography and the Department of Natural Disasters.
The history of the Department of Physical Geography dates back to 1994, when the Department of Geoecology was established on 24 October. In 2002, it was renamed the Department of Physical Geography. The first head of the department was Dr Mauro Hrvatin, followed by Dr Matija Zorn, who led the department from 2008 to 2022. Since 2022, the department has been led by Dr Matej Lipar.

The department also continues the long-standing tradition of research on natural disasters in Slovenia, which began at our institute as early as the 1950s. The origins of the Department of Natural Disasters date back to 1992, when the Centre for Multidisciplinary Research on Natural Disasters was established. On 14 October 1994, it was renamed the Department of Natural Disasters. The first head of the department was Assoc. Prof. Dr Milan Orožen Adamič, and in 2007 leadership was taken over by Dr Blaž Komac.