Dr Emil Silvestru
Geologist/karstologist
Biography
Dr Silvestru earned his Ph.D in geology at the ‘Babes-Bolyai’ University
in Cluj, Romania (where he has worked as an associate professor), in karst sedimentology
including caves. (Karst is a term which initially referred to barren regions of
mostly limestone and dolomite, noted for spectacular and distinctive landforms,
and with substantial underground drainage features — caves, underground rivers,
etc. It has come to refer more to the entire geosystem, above and below ground.)
A world authority on the geology of caves, he has published 41 scientific papers
(see below), written one book (The Cave Book—see
below) and co-authored two books. He was, until recently, the
head scientist at the world’s first Speleological Institute (speleology =
the study of caves) in Cluj. Since 1997 he has been a full-time researcher and speaker
with CMI.
His areas of expertise include: Sedimentology of clastic deposits, stratigraphy
of limestone terranes, general geology, karst genesis and functioning, cave climate
and glaciology, show-cave assessment & designing, ore prospecting and exploration
(surface and mining).
After becoming a Christian he quickly realized that the ‘millions of years’
interpretation, so common in geology, was not compatible with Genesis. ‘Once
I became a Christian,’ Emil says, ‘I knew I had to “tune up”
my scientific knowledge with the Scriptures.’
‘Although philosophically and ethically I accepted a literal Genesis from
my conversion, at first I was unable to match it with my “technical”
side.’
E-mail discussions with qualified creationist geologists, creationist books,
Creation magazine and especially the Journal of
Creation (formerly TJ) helped him realise what he calls
two ‘essential things’:
- Given exceptional conditions (e.g. the Genesis Flood) geological processes that
take an extremely long time today can be unimaginably accelerated.
- The Genesis Flood was global, not regional.
‘These factors were immensely important in my conversion and my Christian
life. I am now convinced of six-day, literal, recent, Genesis creation. That doesn't
mean that there are not still some unanswered problems, but researching such issues
is what being a scientist is all about.’
He has over 30 years experience in climbing and spelunking, educating many young
spelunkers and mountain climbing devotees as well as participating in mountain and
cave rescue operations.
In January 2002 he immigrated to Canada from Romania with his wife and two daughters.
In addition to doing research and writing for CMI, he now also on staff at CMI Canada
as a Seminar Lecturer, and has written a number of articles for the
Journal of Creation, Creation magazine
and this website, and produced several DVDs.
Interview
Dr Silvestru’s papers published in secular science journals
- Viehmann Iosif, SILVESTRU Emil, Fabian Calin (1979) La Grotte d'Iza, Monts de Rodna,
Roumanie. Travaux de l'Institut de Spéologie “Emil Racovitza”,
Bucureşti, t.XVIII:201–207.
- SILVESTRU Emil, Viehmann Iosif (1982) Etude de microtectonique comparée dans
le karst des Monts de Rodna (Roumanie). Travaux de l'Institut de Spéologie
“Emil Racovitza”, Bucureşti, t.XXI:63–67.
- SILVESTRU Emil (1984) The Relationship Between Tectonics and Karstification in the
Cave from Izvorul Tausoarelor (Rodna Mountains). Theoretical and Applied Karstology,
Bucureşti, 1:35–42.
- Soritau Dan, Nicoara Dorel, SILVESTRU Emil, Demeter Janos, Popa Cristian, Viehmann
Iosif (1984) Avenul din Stanul Foncii. Bull."Pestera", Cluj–Napoca,
1:79–88.
- SILVESTRU Emil (1985) Aspects of Karstification in the Crystalline Limestones on
the Southern Slope of Rodnei Mountains. Theoretical and Applied Karstology,
Bucureşti, 2:87–95.
- SILVESTRU Emil (1988) New Ideas on the Cretaceous/Tertiary Extinctions. Evolution
and Adaptation, Cluj–Napoca, III:89–97.
- Mârza Ioan, SILVESTRU Emil (1988)First Mention of the Hydrothermal Karst Phenomenon
Associated to Neogene Metasomatic Suplhide Ore deposits from Rodna Veche. Studia
Universitatis “Babes-Bolyai”, Geologica-Geographica, Cluj-Napoca,
XXXIII:77–81.
- Cocean Pompei, SILVESTRU Emil (1988)The Role of Magmatism in the Genesis of Isolated
Massifs Karst Relief of the Trascau–Metaliferi Mountains. Travaux de l'Institut
de Spéologie “Emil Racovitza”, Bucureşti, t.XXVII:89–93.
- SILVESTRU Emil (1989) Several Considerations on the Tectonics of the Underground
Fossil Glacier in the Cave Ghetarul de la Scarisoara (Romania). Travaux de l'Institut
de Spéologie “Emil Racovitza”, Bucureşti, t.XXVIII:77–86.
- Cociuba Ioan, SILVESTRU Emil (1989) Hypothesis on a genetical Relation Between the
Actual Karst and the Bauxite-Bearing paleokarst at the Jurassic/Creatceous Boundary
in the Piatra Craiului Mountains (Romania). Travaux de l'Institut de Spéologie
“Emil Racovitza”, Bucureşti,t.XXVIII, p.87–90.
- SILVESTRU Emil (1990)Propositions pour une classification litho–génétiquedes
formes karstiques et apparentées. Karstologia, La Rivoire, France.
Nr.15:55–57.
- SILVESTRU Emil (1990) On the Genesis and Evolution of Mirabilite in the Cave Izvorul
Tausoarelor (Romania). Travaux de l'Institut de Spéologie “Emil Racovitza”,
Bucureşti, t.XXIX:79–84.
- Racovita Gheorghe, Boghean Viorel, SILVESTRU Emil, Petrescu Mircea (1991) Etude
thermométrique des substratums de la grotte de Scarisoara. Travaux de l'Institut
de Spéologie “Emil Racovitza”, Bucureşti, t.XXX:159–184.
- SILVESTRU Emil, Boghean Viorel (1992) Ultrasonic Investigations on the Underground
Fossil Glacier in the Cave Ghetarul de la Scarisoara (Romania). Travaux de l'Institut
de Spéologie “Emil Racovitza”, Bucureşti, t.XXXI:151–154.
- SILVESTRU Emil (1993) Karst and Global Climate (a Gaian Approach). Proceedings
of the European Conference on Speleology, Helecine, Belgium, 2:125–127.
- SILVESTRU, Emil (1993) Apusul gigantilor — o poveste cu dinozauri. In Petrescu
Iustinian (coordinator) Terra — catastrofe naturale. Editura Dacia
Cluj-Napoca, 259p.
- SILVESTRU Emil (1994) Karst and Environment — a Romanian Approach. Geological
and Landscape Conservation (O'Halloran, D., Greene, C., Harley, M., Knill,
J., editors) London, Geological Society, p.221–225.
- SILVESTRU Emil, Ghergari Lucretia (1994) On the Paleokarst in the Cave Ghetarul
de la Scarisoara (Bihor Mountains, Romania). Theoretical and Applied Karstology,
Bucureşti, 7:155–161.
- SILVESTRU Emil (1995)Can One Define Poljes? Acta Carsologica, Ljubljana,
Slovenia, XXIV:501–508.
- SILVESTRU Emil, Tamas Tudor, Fratila Gheorghe (1995) Preliminary Data on the Hydrogeology
of Karst Terrains Around the Springs of Somesul Cald River (Bihor-Vladeasa Mountains,
Romania). Theoretical and Applied Karstology, Bucureşti, 8:81–89.
- Pourchet Michel, Mélieres Marie Antoinette, SILVESTRU Emil, Rajka Géza,
Candaudap Froncois, Carbonnel Jean-Pièrre (1996) Radionuclides in a Cave
Lake Sediment Core from Ghetarul de Sub Zgurasti (Romania). Theoretical and Applied
Karstology, Bucureşti, 9:23–28.
- SILVESTRU Emil, Mátyási Sándor and Bucur I. Ioan (1996) Proposal
for a series of formal lithostratigraphic units from the Lower Triassic to the Upper
Jurassic in the Central Bihor Mountains (Apuseni Mountains, Romania). Studia Universitatis
“Babes-Bolyai”, Geologia, XLI(2):131–136,
Cluj.
- SILVESTRU Emil (1997) Stratigrafia si sedimentologia depozitelor clastice din exo–
si endocarstul zonei Padis-Cetatile Ponorului. Teza de doctorat (PhD thesis)
Universitatea “Babes-Bolyai” Cluj-Napoca, 240 pp.
- SILVESTRU Emil (1997) Dolines in the Padis Plateau (Bihor Mountains, Romania) —
One Peculiar Case, Many Questions. Theoretical and Applied Karstology, Bucureşti,
10:127–132.
- SILVESTRU Emil (1998) Lithostratigraphic control of karstification: a Romanian example.
Études de Géographie Physique, Supplément au nº XXVII:31–34,
Arras, France.
- SILVESTRU, Emil (1999) Perennial ice in caves in temperate climate and its significance.
Theoretical and Applied Karstology, Bucureşti, 11–12:83–94.
Articles in the Journal of Creation
Articles in the Creation Magazine
Articles on this website
Book
DVDs
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