T. S. Balakrishnan (1928–2018)

T. S. Balakrishnan, a geophysicist, who worked all his life exploring for oil and decoding the tectonic features of the Indian subcontinent, died in Bengaluru on 8 August 2018 after a short period of age-related illness. He was 91. Born in Thrissur, Kerala in 1928, Balakrishnan did his education in Bombay and Allahabad Universities and completed his postgraduation in Physics, in 1947. He started his scientific career working on X-ray crystallography, at C. V. Raman’s laboratory in the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore where he worked from 1947 to 1953. He joined the Geological Survey of India in 1953, where he started his work in geophysical exploration. His interest in geophysical exploration found its most fertile ground as he joined the Oil Natural Gas and Commission (ONGC) in 1956, as one of its earliest geophysicist recruits.