Part of Durrheim’s work with the team at the CSIR included investigating the risks posed by large seismic events in gold mining regions and investigating the physics of earthquakes. The reality is that while large earthquakes are rare in South Africa, there remains a risk of the recurrence of the M6 1809 Cape Town earthquake – which could become one of the greatest disasters faced by the country. Durrheim assessed the risks that these earthquakes pose to nuclear power stations, the electricity grid, and gas pipeline networks, as well as those who live close to the East African Rift, where earthquakes occur regularly.

“My work has evolved and works at the interface between science and society, doing the things that I believe are relevant, helpful and important,” says Durrheim. “We are world class when it comes to mining in this country, and we really are considered a centre of excellence. People come from all over the world to work here, as they can’t do this overseas. In our rockburst research, we work with people from as far afield as Japan — our underground mines are underground laboratories.”

His work has given Durrheim the opportunity to work with some of the best rock engineers in the world, and alongside students whose development and growth inspire him. He says: “I enjoy working with students and watching them develop. As a research chair I focus on people from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, and they are remarkable.”

Over the past 40 years, Durrheim has contributed significantly to the field. The research and development processes employed by Durrheim have evolved due to huge advances in sensor technology and computing power, making it possible to address increasingly complex research questions. He has contributed to incremental improvements in research techniques and been involved in several notable research programmes.

In the 1980s, Durrheim and his students used reflection seismics to probe the crust across the Limpopo Belt, Wits Basin and Cape Fold Belt profiles. In addition, AfricaArray was co-directed by Durrheim from 2005 to present day, and its backbone network comprises 50 stations in 20 countries, with another 100 stations in temporary arrays. Durrheim also collaborated on the pioneering of digital processing and semi-automatic interpretation of gravity and magnetic data in South Africa, and a research facility was established at Wits in 1986. The facility was revived in 2007 by Durrheim after his South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) appointment and has subsequently undergone significant growth.

“One of my most satisfying achievements is seeing that the group I took over when I was appointed to the research chair 15 years ago go from nearly no activity in terms of seismological research to a group of 40 post-docs, associates, honorary lecturers and PhD and Master’s candidates,” he says. “I have a brilliant successor who got his PhD in 2013; he is an extraordinary researcher and really good with people — Dr Musa Manzi. It is, at this point in my life, amazing to see how this has grown and flourished and to see young and enthusiastic people grow and go forward.”

In the arena of deep mining and mine safety and health, Durrheim collaborated in the Japan-South Africa project Observational Studies in South African Mines to Mitigate Seismic Risks and installed an exceptionally sensitive system at the Cooke #4 shaft. He also worked with CSIR colleagues to pioneer the measurement of site effects that amplified ground motions on tunnel sidewalls and slopes; and in 2018 he was invited to participate in the Economics and Infrastructure Expert Panel of the Covid-19 Country Report. The latter was an initiative to assess the effectiveness of government interventions within the sector.

“South Africa is a country where earth resources are essential for modern society and mining is the river of our economy in terms of wealth creation, but it has a negative impact on the environment and health and safety,” says Durrheim. “I want my work to help get the best out of people and ensure we get the most benefit with the least harm. We have huge disparities in our country, and massive unemployment with social challenges, and so we need to do what we can to keep the economy going.”

Durrheim also leads a community of practice in oil and gas to support the transition away from coal-burning power stations towards renewables. He has made significant discoveries and his role is to develop high-level skills in this area, particularly in previously disadvantaged universities.

“Going forward, I want to work less and focus on the things that bring me joy and have an impact,” he concludes. “We are mentoring the next generation of academics and building a future that’s more diverse and inclusive. I want to open more doors for people, and help them build their networks and become top class academics and leaders.” — Tamsin Oxford

Read the special Mail & Guardian supplement about all the NSTF-South32 Award winners.