It is the only international award for scientific contributions and achievements in the field of history of geological sciences.
[1] Named in honor of the Soviet historian of geology Vladimir Vladimirovich Tikhomirov (1915–1994) — the organizer and first president of the International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO) in 1967.
Nominations for the award are made by the International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO), approved by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).
[3] Since 2020, the medal with a diameter of 10 cm is made of Armenian obsidian.
[4] The medal is awarded every four years during the International Geological Congress.