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Department of Geological Sciences Newsletter No. 36, September 1986

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Department of Geological Sciences Newsletter No. 36, September 1986 CoverPhotograph: Simpson Springs Mountain in the Marathon Basin, West Texas Department News Chairman'sReport by William L. Fisher and John M. Sharp, Jr. The restructuringofthepetroleumindustrysince the boom days of the early1980's and the dramatic fall in oilprices inJanuaryof this year affect the whole of the geological sciences either directly or indirectly. Our alumni and colleagues feel the impact and so does this Department,this University and this State. The down side of cycles, especially when as precipitous as the current one, createimmediate problemsand probably have long-term negative implications as well. Yet we sense a real andbasic commitment to education and researchinTexas,andweare determinedtosee that the University plays a stabilizing role, and that this Department will continue to train and prepare geological scientists appropriatelyfor the future. The faculty stays active;research output is up and many have been receiving awards and professional recognition through the year. Several members of the IanDalziel facultyhave been veryactive in the professionalaffairs of AAPG, GSA, AGU, SEG, SEPM, and other scientific societies. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. The number of undergraduatemajors continues to Nick's arrival was delayed for asemesterbecause of a decline.We reachedahighof825inspringof1982. This severe biking accident. Fortunately, his recovery was springmajors were down to 290 andby our bestguess complete and he joinedus in full stride last January. will not exceed 250 in the fall of 1986. Our graduate Nick's research interests are in the application of programremains steadyat about 200 (80 pursuingthe isotope geology to regional tectonics. PhD degree and 120 the Master's degree). The drop in Dr.Warm Langstonretires effective August 31, 1986 undergraduateenrollmenthas had mixed effects. We to become the First Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Yager are able to teach at a more personallevel and get to Professor Emeritus.Professor E. L. Lundelius assumes know thestudentsbetter. Ontheother hand,werequire the directorship of the Vertebrate Paleontology fewer teaching assistants. The teaching assistantship Laboratory,andreduces his faculty responsibilities to has traditionallybeen our most importantmechanism half time.Dr.TimothyRowe,avertebratepaleontologist for student support. with his doctorate from University of California at This pastyear, we added three new facultymembers. Berkeley will jointhe facultyinSeptember, 1986. LanDalzieljoinedus fromColumbiaUniversity.Lanisan Several—new staff members joined the Department internationallyrecognizedexpert on tectonics.He has this year Jim Carpetas as electronics technician,Jeff a joint appointmentas full professor and as senior Horowitz as draftsman,SusannaMoses as thin-section research scientist in the Institute for Geophysics. Lan technician, and Gloria Villalpando as front-office taughtacourseinregionaltectonics andspentresearch secretary.MelissaSmithjoined theGeologyFoundation time in South America this year.Martin Lagoeis our staff. new micropaleontologist.Martinreceived hisPhD from Several new appointments, reappointments, or Stanford andmostrecently worked with ARCO.He fills changes in appointments in endowed positions the void in micropaleontologyleft when Sam Ellison occurred in thepast year.These are DanBarker to the retired. Incidentally,Martin's wife, Heather is a Texas- Bullard Professorship,BillFisher to theBarrow Chair, Ex with a degreeinpetroleumland management.The LyntonLand totheGulf Professorship,Jack Sharpand third addition,Nick Walker, recently received his PhD JimSprinkle toYagerProfessorships,DougSmith tothe 2 September 1986 Weeks Professorship,and Keith Young to the Gregory Professorship. Other Departmental activities went well this past year.TheVisiting SpeakersProgram under Mark Cloos' supervision (see section on speakers)was wellrun and wellattended.Warm Langston'stalk onflyingdinosaurs andDaveRaup'sextinctiontalkwerethebest attended, indicatingthecontinuingfascinationwith dinosaurs for both those withinand outside the Department.A wide variety of quality speakers was offered. Professor DeFord continued his guidance in Technical Sessions for the 33rd year.We also benefited from a month-long seminar series given by Dr. Halfdan Carstens from Norway.Helecturedunderthe aegisoftheEdwin Allday CentennialLectureshipinGeologicalSciences. InApril, Dr.Roger Walker of McMaster University presented a shortcourse on shelfsandstones fundedby theJudd H. and Cynthia S. Oualline Centennial Lectureship in PetroleumGeology. past Geologyandhydrologystudents attheWaste IsolationPilotProject Our major problems this year involved tight during spring, 1986 field trip University budgets and student employment. Our normaloperationsand equipmentbudgetcontinues to fall with respect to inflation,and our purchase of a badly needed new van was cancelled due to current budgetrestrictions.Onthe otherhand,theDepartment succeeded in purchasing andinstalling an inductively coupled plasmaspectrometer which greatlyincreases our research capabilities.The tight University budget capabilities.This will require an infusion of external alsocaused thecancellation ofourbuilding remodeling, research funds and continued acquisition of state-of- includingthe sth floor,recentlyvacatedby theBureau the-art equipment. With the support of friends and of Economic Geology. The hiring of our graduate and alumni,andan aggressiveresearcheffort bythe faculty, undergraduatestudents droppedoff significantly from these goals can bemet. last year.Nevertheless, there are jobs available (one The Department's programs do not need drastic studentreceivedsevenjoboffers),althoughcompetition redirection,but we will have to modify our academic is fierce. Well-trained geophysicists and hydrogeologists offerings and research directions to meet new were generallysuccessful in their job searches. challenges and opportunities. We intend to produce The support of our alumni, chiefly through the that "newbreed" ofgeologist and geophysicist who can Geology Foundation,has been vital. The formation of attack the importantproblems of the future. the equipmentmaintenance and purchasing endowed accountswillinthefuturebeofgreatassistance toboth teaching and research. We also look forward to the filling of several of our endowed chairs in the next several years.We enjoyed the opportunityto chat with many friends and alumni at the meetings of AAPG, SEPM, SEG, GCAGS and GSA. Note that next year's national meeting of the GSA will be in San Antonio Economic Geology (FarishChair Emeritus JohnC.Maxwellis the technical Bureauof program chairman). We hopemany of you willjoinus there or at one of the other meetings. Great challenges and opportunities await the The BureauofEconomic Geologycontinues adiverse Department in the next few years. Our goals are to and healthyresearch program. maintain and develop the best possible faculty; to In its 1985 calendar annual report, available on maintain the best possible undergraduate teaching request, 15 different energyresearch programs, eight program; and to recruit the best possible graduate varied environmentalprojects, four mineral investiga- students with a continuing emphasis on PhD-level tions, four mapping projects, and five miscellaneous research. We also need to improve our research geological studies were reported. For the most part, GeologicalSciences Newsletter 3 research efforts were funded by contracts with: four agencies, contractors State four Federal and three Geophysics industrial/institutionalgroups. Institutefor The Bureau increased its annual budget, even in a climate of restricted research support.It continued to recruit qualified scientists. Two newly-graduatedresearchers joinedthe Bureau During the past year,Antarctic studies andsatellite this year. StephenLaubach is a structural geologist altimetryhavebeenadded to the spectrum of research holdingaPhD from theUniversity of Illinois.Elisabeth activities at the Institute. At the same time strong Kosters recently received her PhD in marine science programs are being maintained in paleogeography- from Louisiana State University, where she studied paleoceanography, tectonic history of continental deltaic systems,especially peatdeposits.Followingthe basinsandshelvesandthepastdepthoftheoceanfloor, 1985 Newsletter Dr. Jay Raney, a University of Texas paleomagnetism, earthquake seismology, reflection structural geologist, and Dr.Richard Major, a Brown seismology and ocean-bottom seismometry. The University carbonate petrologist, joined the research Institute continues to be an active participant in the staff. International Ocean DrillingProgram. Several Bureau personnel received recognition by Institute scientists have been involved in two professional societies.BillFisher servedas President of programs in Antarctica, both funded by the National AAPG. Shirley Dutton is a 1986 AAPG Distinguished Science Foundation. The first involves a study of the Lecturer, and FrankBrown was named Distinguished tectonic evolution of West Antarctica andits geologic Lecturer for the Petroleum Exploration Society of relationship to East Antarctica, the second a study of Australia. Bob Morton is General Chairman for the tectonic processes atconvergentplateboundaries,such midyear SEPM 1987 meeting. All were especially as the Scotia Ridge of Antarctica and southernmost delighted when James Doss of our support staff South America.Major progresshas been made inboth received a1985 UT Excellence Award. projects, and should lead
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