August Tobler, the Swiss Pioneer of South Sumatra Geological Mapping, 1900-1912

Authors

  • J.T. (Han) van Gorsel Retired ExxonMobil, Houston, Texas, USA
  • Bernhard Gunzenhauser Retired Proseis AG, earlier with Shell Indonesia, Binningen, Switzerland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51835/bsed.2021.47.1.54

Abstract

Dr. August Tobler was a well-known Swiss geologist, who, as one of the very first petroleum field geologists in the Netherlands Indies, did more than ten years of geological mapping in the tiger-infested jungles of South Sumatra. He first worked for the Koninklijke/Royal Dutch and Moeara Enim oil companies in South Sumatra from 1900 to 1904. This was followed by six more years of geological mapping in the Jambi basin, as the first non-Dutch geoscientist at the Dienst van het Mijnwezen (Geological Survey). His thoroughly documented monographs and geologic maps of his geological fieldwork in the Palembang and Jambi basins of South Sumatra, as well as the adjacent Barisan Mountains, set new standards for quality and detail.

Much of the personal information on Dr. Tobler is from papers by Kugler (1930, 1963), Oppenoorth (1930), Stehlin (1931) and Hottinger (2013). This paper is one of the chapters from a new book that is being prepared by the first author, entitled Pioneers and Milestones of Indonesian Geology (~1820-1960).

References

KEY PUBLICATIONS

Tobler, A. (1904)- Einige Notizen zur Geologie von Südsumatra. Verhandlungen der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft Basel 15, 3, p. 272-292.

Tobler, A. (1906)- Topographische und geologische Beschreibung der Petroleumgebiete bei Moeara Enim (Süd-Sumatra). Tijdschrift Kon. Nederlands Aardrijkskundig Genootschap (2) 23, 2, p. 199-315.

Tobler, A. (1912)- Voorlopige mededeeling over de geologie der Residentie Djambi. Jaarboek Mijnwezen Nederlandsch Oost-Indie 39 (1910), Verhandelingen, p. 1-29.

Tobler, A. (1912)- Korte beschrijving der petroleumterreinen gelegen in het Zuidoostelijk deel der Residentie Djambi (Sumatra). Dienst van het Mijnwezen Nederlandsch-Indie, p. 1-29 + 20 maps

Tobler, A. (1913)- Korte beschrijving der petroleum terreinen gelegen in het zuidoostelijk deel der residentie Djambi (Sumatra). Jaarboek Mijnwezen Nederlandsch Oost-Indie 40 (1911), Verhandelingen, p. 12-28.

Tobler, A. (1914)- Geologie van het Goemai gebergte (Res. Palembang, Zuid Sumatra). Jaarboek Mijnwezen Nederlandsch Oost-Indie 41 (1912), Verhandelingen, p. 6-49.

Tobler, A. (1917)- Uber Deckenbau im Gebiet von Djambi. Verhandlungen der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft Basel 28, 2, p. 123-147.

Tobler, A. (1918)- Korte beschrijving van het petroleum gebied van Midden-, Noordwest en Noord-Beneden-Djambi. Jaarboek Mijnwezen Nederlandsch Oost-Indie 45 (1916), Verhandelingen II, p. 141-201.

Tobler, A. (1918)- Notiz über einige foraminiferenfuhrende Gesteine von der Halbinsel Sanggar (Soembawa). Zeitschrift Vulkanologie 4, p. 189-192.

Tobler, A. (1921)- Beiträge zur Geologie und Paläontologie von Sumatra, unter Mitwirkung von Fachgenossen, 1-7. Mouton & Co., 333p.

Tobler, A. (1922)- Djambi verslag. Uitkomsten van het geologisch-mijnbouwkundig onderzoek in de residentie Djambi 1906-1912. Jaarboek Mijnwezen Nederlandsch-Indie (1919), Verhandelingen III, p. 1-585 + Atlas of maps and cross-sections

Tobler, A. (1923)- Unsere palaeontologische Kenntniss von Sumatra. Eclogae Geol. Helvetiae 18, 2, p. 313-342.

Tobler, A. (1925)- Mesozoikum und Tertiär des Gumaigebirges. Verhandelingen Geologisch-Mijnbouwkundig Genootschap Nederland Kolonien, Geol. Serie 8 (Verbeek volume), p. 521-535.

Tobler, A. (1925)- Miogypsina im untersten Neogen von Trinidad und Borneo. Eclogae Geol. Helvetiae 19, p. 719-722.

Kugler, H. (1921)- Geologie des Sangir-Batangharigebietes (Mittel-Sumatra). Verhandelingen Geologisch-Mijnbouwkundig Genootschap Nederland Kolonien, Geol. Serie 5, 4, p. 135-201.

Jongmans, W.J. & W. Gothan (1925)- Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Flora des Oberkarbons von Sumatra. Verhandelingen Geologisch-Mijnbouwkundig Genootschap Nederland Kol., Geol. Serie 8 (Verbeek volume), p. 279-303.

Osberger, R. (1955)- Uber Deckenbau und andere geologische Probleme im Pratertiär Sumatras. Neues Jahrbuch Geol. Paläontologie, Monatshefte 1955, 8, p. 321-341.

BIOGRAPHIC LITERATURE

Kugler, H.G. (1930)- August Tobler, 1872-1929. Verhandlungen der Schweizerischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft 111, p. 447-458.

Kugler, H.G. (1963)- Erste Erlebnisse eines Basler Petroleumgologen. Basler Stadtbuch 1963, 83, p. 109-147.

Oppenoorth, W.F.F. (1930)- Necrologie van Aug. Tobler. De Mijningenieur 11, p. 2-4.

Stehlin, H.G. (1931)- August Tobler 1872-1929. Verhandlungen der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft Basel 42, p. 177-195.

Hottinger, L. (2013)- Micropalaeontology in Basel (Switzerland) during the twentieth century:rise and fall of one of the smaller fields of the life sciences. In: A.J. Bowden et al. (eds.) Landmarks in foraminiferal micropalaeontology: history and development, The Micropalaeontological Society, Geol. Soc. London, Spec. Publ. 6, p. 317-335.

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Published

2021-08-15

How to Cite

van Gorsel, J. (Han), & Gunzenhauser, B. (2021). August Tobler, the Swiss Pioneer of South Sumatra Geological Mapping, 1900-1912. Berita Sedimentologi, 47(1), 63–78. https://doi.org/10.51835/bsed.2021.47.1.54

Issue

Vol. 47 No. 1 (2021)

Section

Articles

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