After the Tashkent earthquake in 1966, at the suggestion of the Academy of Sciences and according to the decision of the leadership of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in 1968, the department of “Geophysical research methods” was reorganized at the Faculty of Geology. From 1968 to 1993, the department was served by a laureate of the State Prize, a geologist who served in Uzbekistan, g-m.f.d. led by Professor B.B. Tal-Virsky. From 1993 to 1999, laureate of the State Prize named after Beruni, g.m.f.n. led by associate professor K. O. Otaboyev. From 1999 to 2010 g-m.f.d. led by associate professor Sh.S. Radjabov. From 2010 to 2023 g-m.f.d. from 2023, headed by associate professor D.Kh. Atabayev (PhD) A.Kh. Tokhtasinov is in charge.
In addition to the main field of education, scientific work is carried out on a large scale. “Territorial and exploration geophysics” and “Experimental and applied geophysics” laboratories were established to carry out scientific research in the field of geophysics. On the basis of economic contracts, these laboratories have taken leading positions in the University. The scientific research works of the department are mainly carried out in three directions. The first is geodynamics, seismicity and the deep structure of the lithosphere. The second direction, which is currently developing, is structural geophysics and the study of oil and gas regions by geophysical methods. The third direction is engineering geophysics and seismomicroregionalization (SMR). The members of the department actively participated in the implementation of the international Pamir-Himalaya project in cooperation with Russian, Indian, Pakistani and Italian geophysicists. Professor B.B. Tal-Virsky was the scientific leader of the university in carrying out this project. Since 1970, the members of the department have been implementing the international ELAS (electrical conductivity of the asthenosphere) project. 2001-2003 “Paleorift” international project was launched under the leadership of docent K. O. Otaboyev. In this case, the sediment cover of the Bukhara-Khiva oil and gas region was studied by MOVZ methods. 2005-2014 Under the leadership of D.K. Atabaev, works on the depth structure of the Surkhandarya, Kashkadarya and Zarafshan depressions were carried out based on the economic contracts of JSC “Uzbekgeofizika”. According to the results of the work, a regional forecast of oil and gas structures was carried out. In 2017, in order to ensure the safety of the tunnel to be built for extracting ores from the Muruntau quarry under the economic contract concluded with NKMK, earth cracks on its edges were identified and studied.