Harsh Gupta

Harsh Gupta born on June 28th,1942, is a scientist and seismologist. He completed his graduation from the Indian School of Mines, Dehradun and also received his Masters Degree in Geophysics from the same institute. He obtained a doctoral degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. He continued his advanced studies in Seismology from International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering which is situated in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. In 1972, he enrolled in the University of Texas in Dallas as a research scientist.

In 1982, he became the director of Center for Earth Science Studies, a centre for science studies related to the earth in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. In 1987, he became the Vice Chancellor of a famous University, Cochin University of Science and Technology. In 1992, he got appointed as the Director of National Geophysical Research Institute in Hyderabad. He then served as the Secretary of Department of Ocean Development of Indian and was antiquated from here in 2005.

Gupta’s explorations have pivoted on the study of earthquakes and has developed methods to differentiate the natural earthquakes and the ones persuading from the reservoirs. He also developed methods to determine and calculate the potential of reservoir-influencing earthquakes at a particular site. He has also conducted studies on the structure of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. His studies have got printed in many journals and five books like Disaster Management, Oceanology, Geothermal Energy, Three Great Tsunamis, and Reservoir-Induced Earthquakes. He was the leader of the team which headed the Indian Tsunami Warning System.

Gupta was a member of the National Disaster Management Authority. He has been the president of many societies like Geological Society of India, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, and Asia Oceania Geosciences Society. He was also a member of Legal Continental Shelf and evolved techniques for rain harvesting, minimising hazards of the earth, and also detecting resources of water. He was the head of the Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica.

He has also served as a guide to the International Council for Science, and Commonwealth Science Council. He has also served as the editor of many books including The Encylopedia of Solid Earth Geophysics. Gupta is a recipient of several awards like the famous Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in the year, 1983, 100 Years of International Geophysics Medal in 1985, Indian Society of Geophysics Millenium Award, Waldo E. Smith Award, Padma Shri Award, and Nayudamma Memorial Gold Medal Award.