LATVIAN GEOLOGIST AUSTRA STINKULE

Latvian Doctor of Geology Austra Stinkule was born on July 27, 1936 in Riga. She was three years old when World War II began. After finishing school in 1954 she decided to study chemistry at the State University of Latvia, specializing in silicate technology. Since the studies were completed with excellence, she was immediately offered the work in the laboratory of the Institute of Geology of the Latvian Academy of Sciences.

In 1959 Austra started her career as an engineer. She also gradually got acquainted with the field of geology, worked on publications, and in 1967 received a degree in Geology and Mineralogy. She practically spent her entire life at the Institute of Geology as a senior researcher. She was also a lecturer at the University of Latvia and led courses in mineralogy and geochemistry.

Austra Stinkule is the author of several books on different types of mineral resources in Latvia and on all minerals in general. Participation in another book is not excluded. Austra Stinkule’s lifetime work is Latvian clay – its formation, distribution, quality and practical use. Her monograph Clay in the Depths of Latvian Earth published in 2014 provides basic information about minerals in the depths of the Earth and their potential uses, as well as their quality characteristics. She also was a lecturer at the University of Latvia and led courses in mineralogy and geochemistry. She sees herself as a chemist, though, of course, much more has been done in the field of geology than in her original specialty.