2014

®

GSA Medals & Awards

Presented at the

Annual Meeting of the

Geological Society of America U

19 October 2014

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

RIP RAPP AWARD FOR important in reconstructing the earliest On my way home from Fiji, I stopped settlement of western Polynesia. by the Bishop Museum in Honolulu where ARCHAEOLOGICAL His second major contribution to Richard Shutler, Jr. (deceased 2007) was GEOLOGY archaeology has been on the geomorphology serendipitously in residence for a year. of Pacific islands, whose present shorelines Richard knew the value of geology to Presented to differ from those encountered by the earliest archaeology, having been the first scientist William R. Dickinson Lapita voyagers because of mid- Holocene in charge of the radiocarbon laboratory at sea-level changes and subsequent isostatic the University of Arizona. We hatched the uplift. These studies have been immensely scheme of applying sedimentary petrography helpful in prospecting for archaeological sites to the study of temper sands in Lapita and of Lapita age. other ceramic traditions throughout the South The many letters received in support Pacific arena. Our co-conspirator from the of this nomination testify to the reverence outset was Roger Green (deceased 2009), of many Pacific archaeologists for Bill the acknowledged doyen of South Pacific Dickinson as a person, and for their very high archaeology at the University of Auckland. regard for his work. There can be no more As my research unfolded over the years, deserving recipient of the Rip Rapp Award for potsherds were gratefully received from Archaeological Geology. around 100 archaeological collaborators working on at least 150 islands, and have produced perhaps 2850 thin sections as grist Response by William R. Dickinson for interpretations. It is by now abundantly When I first put my standard specialties clear that it was by and large the pot makers who migrated through the islands of Pacific William R. Dickinson of sedimentary geology and tectonics to work University of Arizona, Tucson in the service of geoarchaeology a half century Oceania over the centuries plying their ago, I had no inkling that effort would gain me ancestral skills, and not the pots that moved. such a signal and unexpected honor. I stand Still and all, the same investigative technique here infused with a mixture of humility, pride, has also documented ceramic transfer in Citation by David Killick and unalloyed joy. limited volume between more than 75 pairs I took my first step into geoarchaeology of islands, thereby revealing specific and This is the third time that William in 1965 as a sidelight to mapping the otherwise undemonstrable cultural ties. (Bill) Dickinson has been honored by the Wainimala orogen and its cover rocks on Viti After my retirement from teaching in Geological Society of America. He was Levu in Fiji with a Guggenheim Fellowship 1991, able to spend two to four months a year awarded the Penrose Medal in 1991, and the during my first sabbatical from Stanford. in the islands, I turned my attention to the Laurence L. Sloss Award for Sedimentary Laurence and Helen Birks were at the same influence of hydro-isostasy and lithospheric Geology in 1999. He was also elected to the time excavating the famed Lapita ceramic flexure on the evolution of Holocene National Academy of Sciences in 1992 for his site beneath the Sigatoka sand dunes on paleoshorelines where so much archaeology extraordinary volume of research combining the south coast. At the time, it was unclear is focused within Pacific Oceania. Since my sedimentary petrology with tectonics, applied whether Lapita ware was fabricated at some pursuit of that topic coincided with an era particularly to reconstructing the geological central entrepot in Melanesia, to be carried of easy air access to 60 airstrips on multiple evolution of the Pacific and of North America. from there across some 4000 km of the South far-flung islands, it seems likely that my wife Yet very few of those who know Bill as a Pacific, or whether it was made locally on the Jackie and I have walked more miles of island towering figure in these fields realize that he multiple islands where it is now found. To shorelines than anyone who ever lived. has also had a parallel career in archaeological approach that issue, I undertook a study of the I could literally run on for hours but my geology that began in 1965 and has so far sedimentology and sedimentary petrography allotted time is up. Peace be with you all! produced 121 publications. of the Sigatoka dune sands in parallel with Bill Dickinson’s contributions to a study of the temper sands embedded in archaeological geology have had two foci. Sigatoka pottery. Without a doubt, the pottery The first has been to track the earliest was tempered with local sand. migrations of humans into the Pacific between 1200 and 750 BCE. He has done this by quantitative optical petrography of the Lapita pottery that the migrants took with them. By comparing the frequency of mineral and lithic temper grains in these sherds to those of temper sands that he and his collaborating archaeologists have systematically collected on Pacific islands, Bill has been able to identify the starting points for most of these voyages. These data have been enormously

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

GILBERT H. CADY teacher who immerses himself in his students, Ernie Mancini passed through the mentoring them, and providing sponsorship geology department at Kentucky looking AWARD and guidance. He has served on more than for somebody who could interpret Presented to 50 thesis and dissertation committees at nine paleoenvironments in coal-bearing strata. Jack Pashin major U.S. and Australian universities and Thus began my employment at the Geological supported over 30 B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. Survey of Alabama, where I found myself students on research grants. on the ground floor of the coalbed methane And he doesn’t stop there. He chairs and boom and, incidentally, met my wife, Janyth. participates in research, program, and outreach My background was insufficient for solving committees of AAPG, GSA, USGS, and other the puzzle of coalbed methane reservoir organizations. He is an Associate Editor for geology. If I wanted to have any impact, I the AAPG Bulletin and is a member of the needed to explore the finer points of structural editorial board of the International Journal of geology and basin hydrology; and I thank Coal Geology. He has served in leadership Walt Ayers, Rick Groshong, Bill Kaiser, and positions in the Energy Minerals Division of Steve Laubach for bringing me up to speed. AAPG, GSA Coal Geology Division, and the I was fortunate to serve under three state Alabama Geological Society. geologists during my tenure at the survey Jack C. Pashin has received numerous (Ernie Mancini, Don Oltz, and Nick Tew), awards from AAPG and other organizations. and all three afforded me the freedom to He was elected a GSA Fellow in 2011 and pursue any opportunity that emerged—from was the Chair of the Coal Geology Division offshore petroleum systems to fractured Jack Pashin from 2009-2010. It is time that Jack C. Pashin reservoir characterization and clean coal Oklahoma State University receive the highest honor of our organization – technology. Clean coal technology has the Gilbert H. Cady Award. dominated my career since 1998, and I am

pleased to have been involved in several CO2 injection projects. Thanks to Richard Esposito Citation by Jingle Ruppert Response by Jack Pashin at Southern Company, we are hooking coal- Jack C. Pashin’s level of technical It is a great honor to be considered for fired power plants to wells, thereby pointing expertise is vast and covers sedimentary the Gilbert Cady Award, and I am grateful the way toward commercial CO2 storage geology from soup to nuts (petroleum and and humbled to be this year’s recipient. My and expanding opportunities for enhanced interest in geology was kindled as a youth hydrocarbon recovery. I will always fondly coal, CO2 sequestration, sedimentary and structural geology, basin analysis, hydrology, while hunting fossils in Ohio. My career path remember my colleagues at the Geological and geochemistry). He received his Ph.D. began crystallizing at Bradley University Survey of Alabama, whose ideas and efforts degree from the University of Kentucky in in Illinois, where I was educated by Merrill were essential to the success of each research 1990 and began his professional career at Foster, Don Gorman, and Henry Helenek. project we took on. the Geological Survey of Alabama in 1988. There I studied the Desmoinesian section at In 2013 I joined the Boone Pickens He is currently employed as Professor and the Wolf Covered Bridge, which includes the School of Geology at Oklahoma State Devon Energy Chair of Basin Research, Colchester coal. This is my earliest link to coal University, where I find mentoring students Boone Pickens School of Geology, Oklahoma geology and the legacy of Gilbert Cady. highly gratifying and am discovering a range State University, where he develops I whiled away the break before graduate of new research possibilities. In accepting the advanced geoscience curriculum, seeks school trudging the deep gorges and waterfalls Cady Award, I would like to thank all of my grant opportunities for students, and runs around my birthplace near Cleveland, Ohio. mentors, colleagues, and collaborators who, competitive, multi-institutional research Tom Lewis of Cleveland State University alas, are too numerous to name here. In the programs. informed me that some great, unsolved modern world, after all, the most meaningful Jack has produced more than 300 geologic mysteries were lurking right under scientific contributions are achieved by teams. publications in venues ranging from peer- my nose near the Devonian-Mississippian reviewed books and journal articles to boundary. And so I had my research topic well abstracts and field trip guidebooks, and he is in hand by the time I arrived at the University not slowing down. He is a powerful and clear of Kentucky under Frank Ettensohn’s tutelage. speaker and communicator as evidenced by Frank is as great an advisor as a student could his invitation to be an American Association have because he teaches how to tackle diverse of Petroleum Geologists Distinguished geologic problems. And with teachers like Lecturer: in total he has given more than 185 Jim Cobb, John Ferm, and Sue Rimmer, I invited talks. couldn’t help but get a great background in Jack’s research is innovative and award- coal geology. winning and focuses on the geological aspects of exploration, development, and environmental management of unconventional and conventional hydrocarbon reservoirs and geologic carbon sinks. He is an excellent

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS E.B. BURWELL, JR. AWARD Presented to A. Keith Turner and Robert L. Schuster

Citation by James P. McCalpin The E.B. Burwell award is made to author/editors of “a published paper of distinction that advances knowledge concerning principles or practice of engineering geology...” Rockfall (2012, Transportation Research Board, 658 p.) was selected for the 2014 Burwell Award because of its comprehensive nature and high technical level in analyzing a geohazard often encountered in engineering geology. The book’s editors, Keith A. Turner and Robert L. Schuster, between them have more than 100 years of experience in slope stability Keith Turner Robert L. Schuster Colorado School Mines Retired studies. Their previous TRB monograph “Landslides: Investigation and Mitigation” (1996, 673 p.) won the 1997 Burwell Award. In early 2013 when I first saw notice of Rockfall’s publication, I was skeptical that its 658 pages could all be related to rockfall, since that narrow Rockfall mitigation, 20%, and (4) Rockfall maintenance and subject took up only a small portion of their previous monograph on management programs, 5%. This mix of science, engineering, and landslides. But after looking at the Table of Contents online, I ordered hazard management makes the book a comprehensive reference book, the book. Once I started reading it, I soon realized that it was not only which was also a hallmark of their previous monograph. exclusively about rockfall, but that the field had greatly advanced Applied sciences like engineering geology advance not since I had done my last rockfall project. With continued reading I continuously, but in small to large leaps spurred by bombshell began to understand (and you will too) how out of date one’s rockfall publications such as this one. Such books can only be written by knowledge can become in only 10 years. researchers who have spent decades in the forefront of their field, as The book is divided into 4 parts: (1) Recognition of rockfall Drs. Turner and Schuster have. And so today we honor their latest hazard, 20%; (2) Rockfall analysis and investigation, 45%; (3) “monster” monograph with the 2014 Burwell Award.

Response by Alan Keith Turner and Robert L. Schuster was a great success, and was the reason we received the 1997 Burwell Award. So this second Burwell Award is really an unexpected honor. Receiving the 2014 Burwell Award is really a special honor and We are long-time members of GSA: Schuster since 1959; greatly appreciated by both of us. It is somehow fitting that this Burwell Turner since 1964. We are also long-time friends and professional is awarded in Vancouver for a book devoted to rockfall. collaborators. We first met at an annual TRB meeting in Washington, Turner was faced for the first time with rockfall-hazard-mitigation D.C., in about 1970. In the early 1970s Turner joined the faculty of the issues on the Trans-Canada Highway at Hells Gate in the Fraser Colorado School of Mines (CSM) and Schuster joined the Engineering Canyon in 1965. At that time he held the position of Engineering Geology Branch of the U.S. Geological Survey in Denver. For 40 years Geologist for the Department of Public Works in Ottawa. The Trans- we and our families have lived within a mile of each other in Golden, Canada Highway involved federal funding, so an enquiry by provincial Colorado. During those years, we have spent a considerable amount authorities led to his first visit to the west coast – a several-day field of time working together either in Turner’s CSM office or over the trip to see the recent Hope Landslide and the slope instabilities along kitchen table at the Schuster home. The high points of our professional the Fraser and Thompson Canyons. Hells Gate had already been collaboration have been our two TRB landslide volumes. extensively rock bolted, so only continued monitoring of an obviously We are deeply appreciative of all who assisted with the writing dangerous slope was recommended. and production of the rockfall book. Over the years, we had the The story does not end there, however. In the summer of 1969, unfailing support of our families, including our wives who were Turner and his wife traveled on the Trans-Canada from Vancouver to very happy to see the book completed, and numerous colleagues at Toronto while on vacation. As they rounded the corner approaching the Colorado School of Mines, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Hells Gate they faced a large rock in free-fall! It missed the car, landing Transportation Research Board. on the shoulder, and there was no collision with other traffic. His wife’s strong opinions about limitations of the existing efforts on rockfall mitigation led Turner to participate in the deliberations on rockfall that began at about this time at the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meetings. TRB is a division of the National Research Council. Our rockfall book is the fourth of a series of Highway Research Board/ Transportation Research Board texts on slope failure. Schuster has been co-editor on three of these, and Turner and Schuster have been co- editors on the last two. The 1996 TRB landslide book that we co-edited

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

Ian graduated from the University of Brighton Accord was unanimously adopted by OUTSTANDING Newcastle upon Tyne in 1972. He began his delegates from 54 countries. CONTRIBUTIONS IN career with BGS in 1973, working on mineral Ian knew that OneGeology could only resource assessments in the UK and overseas. be successful if it was promoted as a geology GEOINFORMATICS In 1983, he became a field geologist initiative rather than a purely technological Presented to in the coalfields of North-East England, project. The Brighton Workshop has been where he applied early computing systems described as a masterful approach to Ian Jackson to large borehole and mine plan databases. launching OneGeology that showed how Subsequently, he was appointed manager of the news media could be harnessed to help a corporate project to introduce digital map promote a geoscience initiative. Knowing production across BGS in 1990. that international endorsement was a critical Ian then became BGS Director of first step to OneGeology, Brighton publicity Information from 2000 to 2007, and he was established OneGeology internationally with appointed Chief of Operations prior to his a degree of success that has rarely been seen recent retirement from BGS. Concurrently, he before or since. fulfilled roles such as member of the European It is widely accepted that without Ian, Commission team that drafted regulations OneGeology would not have become the for INSPIRE – the Infrastructure for Spatial success it is. Information in the European Community. Ian’s strong leadership is balanced with A dominant theme throughout Ian’s a diplomacy that managed to coordinate career has been the wide application of most of the European geological surveys geoscience data for societal benefit, a goal (and the project delivered the first prototype he continues to promote as a consultant on implementation of INSPIRE. This positioned Ian Jackson the international stage. Ian has been one of our community as the most advanced and formerly British Geological Survey the first in geological survey organizations organized community involved in INSPIRE. worldwide to understand, and more Those who have been intimately importantly, to change the organization of involved in OneGeology know very well the survey to fulfill its role of “information of the immense commitment, passion, and Citation by Lee Allison agency.” meticulous effort that Ian has contributed to Ian understood the importance these activities – much of it behind the scenes. The GSA Geoinformatics Division of standards to achieve the opening of For these tremendous contributions to brings together professionals in our field to geoscientific data for diverse uses, and took our field, the GSA Geoinformatics Division advance discussion of our issues and ideas, a decisive part to the recreation of the IUGS/ therefore is immensely pleased to present to facilitate teamwork by earth scientists and CGI. the 2014 ‘Outstanding Contributions in computer scientists, to promote publication of Among his many accomplishments, Geoinformatics Award’, to Ian Jackson. our progress, and to advance education in our Ian is perhaps best known as the primary crucially important discipline. instigator of OneGeology - a global initiative To pursue goals such as these, it is to make digital geological map data accessible Response by Ian Jackson customary for groups such as ours to present throughout the world. I would like to thank members of the major awards to those who have demonstrated OneGeology began at the General Geoinformatics Division and the GSA for the most admirable commitment to and Assembly of the Commission for the this award; it is very much appreciated. If leadership in our field, thus providing a model Geological Map of the World in February I may I would like to accept it on behalf to which we all may aspire. 2006 as a vision among a small international of the OneGeology and British Geological The Division therefore has established group of geologists involved with the Survey teams. In particular I would like the ‘Outstanding Contributions in management and publication of geological to acknowledge the enormous effort and Geoinformatics Award’, to be presented data who faced the daily challenge of sharing contribution of friends and colleagues in the annually to a highly worthy nominee for and exchanging data. Although many in the less well developed countries of the world; it outstanding contributions to geology through group were enthusiastic about the concept, it is they who have advanced the furthest and application of the principles of geoinformatics. was Ian who ran with the idea and became the added most value. Today, it gives me great pleasure to champion and leader of the initiative. Those who know me know well that I present the 2014 GSA Geoinformatics Ian’s colleagues uniformly refer to his have maintained a strong belief throughout Division ‘Outstanding Contributions in ability to inspire others on the OneGeology my career that the prime responsibility of Geoinformatics Award’ to Ian Jackson, who concept and build a strong team with the skills geological surveys, and the geoscientists who is widely known for his long and superb to create OneGeology, his keen awareness of work within them, is to apply their science for service to advance the field of geoinformatics how to get things done, and his ability to find the benefit of society. While some of those in through his pioneering work at the British constructive ways around obstacles as key to the academic sector have a legitimate reason Geological Survey, to the establishment and the success of the initiative. to pursue knowledge for knowledge sake unprecedented success of the OneGeology The project gained momentum under the that, in my view, is not the role of geological initiative, and to many important international International Year of Planet Earth, and reached surveys. Their mission is, or should be, to seek activities such as CGI – the Commission full speed at the stupendously successful to maximise the value of their work for their for the Management and Application of Brighton workshop in early 2007, where the stakeholders. Geoscience Information. THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

In the context of geoscience information washrooms far outstrips its ability to complete this means that geological surveys must ask the essential sewage and water supply themselves: Given the new technologies infrastructure. available to us, are we fully adding value The relevance to this award? Well to and disseminating the data, information I very much hope that the work done by and knowledge we already hold before we OneGeology and BGS has in some small embark on new surveys and data acquisition way adjusted the balance and demonstrated programmes? I do not believe that this is a the value of managing and disseminating question that is asked often enough. The result geological data. I would also hope that it has is that good science and data produced by our made those of us in the so-called developed predecessors, that has been funded by society world realise how much we can help those and can improve health and welfare, lies who are less fortunate than us and how much hidden and inaccessible. our colleagues appreciate that help. I am of course making the case for Thank you. surely the most deserving Cinderellas in the geological domain - data management and delivery. It often seems to me that, as a science, geology’s desire to build plush

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

GEORGE P. and catastrophic deglaciation. The Snowball Robin Chang, Rob Ripperdan, Linda Maepa, Earth hypothesis has since been spectacularly Rob Ferber, David Evans, Chris Pluhar, WOOLLARD AWARD confirmed with chemical evidence of extreme Jack Holt, José Hurtado, Kevin Boyce, Presented to CO2 concentrations in globally synchronous Adam Maloof, Tim Raub, Isaac Hilburn, Joe Kirschvink cap carbonate sequences. Cody Nash, Bob Kopp, Sonia Tikoo, Sarah Joe also played a foundational role in Slotznick, and many others. Also, I would biomagnetism. His work, led to the discovery really like to thank my wife, Atsuko, for of the magnetic sensory organelles used by being extraordinarily patient with me, and animals to detect the geomagnetic field. This our boys, Jiseki and Kōseki, for tolerating is the first new sensory organ discovered in their geological names (‘Magnetite’ and higher animals since bat sonar was identified ‘Gemstone’ in Japanese). more than 70 years ago. With these and I suppose that there is a unifying theme other discoveries, Joe became one of the in much of my work, namely magnetism. original “geobiologists” who built this Magnets fascinate me. I was delighted when interdisciplinary field. I realized that a frozen bit of animal tissue Joe’s contributions to paleomagnetic was essentially a rock, and then one could instrumentation and analysis are too numerous do rock magnetism on it. Heinz Lowenstam to mention but have profoundly changed the and I started this on chitons (a type of marine field. mollusk), whose teeth are capped with a On top of all of these research hardening layer of biological magnetite. I achievements, Joe has been an extraordinary was curious about how much magnetite these Joe Kirschvink mentor and teacher with a large and loyal little animals could produce, which led to California Institute of Technology following of former students that are active in comparisons with the magnetotactic bacteria science. Congratulations, Joe! and the eventual discovery of magnetofossils. It also opened a new door of biophysics concerning how a magnetite-based receptor Citation by Benjamin Weiss and Response by Joe Kirschvink cell could act as a magnetic sense organ for Francis Macdonald Francis, Ben – thank you for your overly migrating and homing animals. That has We are delighted to present the 2014 generous citation. I don’t know where to begin been a fun pursuit. We actually have a major Woollard Award to Joseph L. Kirschvink. my response. Although I have been a member project funded by the Human Frontiers Throughout his career, Joe has inspired of the Geological Society of America for Science Program, trying to train humans to students and has pushed the fields of nearly 40 years, I never thought in my wildest consciously perceive the geomagnetic field. paleomagnetism and geobiology with creative dreams that the Geophysics Division would Perhaps someday field geologists won’t need and provocative hypotheses. consider a gadfly like me for the George P. their Brunton compasses any more! Immediately upon finishing Woollard award, particularly as I am a card- Bringing this back to George P. college, Joe generated some of the first carrying Geobiologist (whatever that means). Woollard, it is fitting to note that he was a magnetostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic On the other hand, physics was my first pioneer in the construction and interpretation records tied to radiometric ages that intellectual love. I have been very fortunate in of large-scale gravity and magnetic anomaly culminated in the construction of a not really having to choose between physics, maps, including some for the east coast of geomagnetic polarity time scale and global biology, and the earth sciences ever since I the United States. Having those maps, and paleogeography through the Cambrian was an undergraduate at Caltech. Everything later the digital data, were critical for helping Explosion. With this work, Joe identified large fascinated me from the beginning, and my us understand the magnetic navigation of and rapid shifts in pole positions and proposed faculty mentors never worried about what I birds and bees, and even crazy things like that the Earth experienced episodes of inertial was doing, as long as it was interesting. Many whale strandings. I’m not sure if this is interchange true polar wander, in which the of them put deep fingerprints in my brain, “multidisciplinary”, “interdisciplinary”, or outer solid Earth rotated tens of degrees over including (at Caltech) Gene Shoemaker, Heinz what – but I certainly know it has been fun! periods of just millions of years. This should Lowenstam, Lee Silver, James Bonner, and And in my Woollard lecture I would like have had profound implications sea level, the Dick Feynman, and (at Princeton) Al Fischer, to upset paleontologists by suggesting that carbon cycle, and the evolution of life. Jason Morgan, Rob Hargraves, and Jim Gould. the Cambrian explosion might have been Using a paleomagnetic fold test, Joe Many friends and colleagues elsewhere have partially an artifact of true polar wander! confirmed that Neoproterozoic glacial been critically important too, including Paul Again, many thanks. deposits were deposited at equatorial Hoffman and Jim Kasting, in particular! latitudes and proposed the Snowball Earth After joining the faculty at Caltech in hypothesis. Previous energy balance models 1981, I’ve had the enormous satisfaction of suggested global glaciation was implausible working with a group of hyper-stimulating because the ice albedo effect left no way out students who have taken those old fingerprints of a terminally glaciated state. Joe had the on the brain and stretched them in numerous insight that a diminished hydrological cycle unexpected directions. In addition to Francis in combination with the release of volcanic Macdonald and Ben Weiss, I’m particularly indebted to Dawn Sumner, Paul Filmer, CO2 would result in a super-greenhouse THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

BIGGS AWARD FOR geology talks, tours, and hikes in the past 8 I’m honored to be recognized with the years. Few faculty, at any level, inspire and Biggs Award. I thank Heather MacDonald EXCELLENCE IN engage as many people in the Earth sciences and Bob Blodgett for making the effort by integrating field work with cutting-edge to nominate me. Heather and the faculty EARTH SCIENCE visualizations. As Steve Whitmeyer recently at William & Mary nurtured a familial TEACHING wrote, Callan’s success is a model for all of us atmosphere that drew me into geology to emulate. as a very young man. They inspired me, Presented to as did many talented writers and artists. Callan Bentley I’m grateful to my colleagues at NOVA, Response by Callan Bentley Geo2YC, Pearson, and every institution I’ve It’s wonderful to be here today with been lucky enough to be affiliated with. I’m you, here on Earth. You and I are fortunate most grateful to my hardworking students, to live on a very interesting planet. It’s big too many to list now, but some of the best enough to have differentiated. This allows a are here at this meeting. My wife Lily is magnetic field that protects our atmosphere a stalwart supporter of my many projects, from erosion by the solar wind. Differentiation but she rightfully reminds me that life is also provides for mantle convection, the power short, and work is but one facet of a full life. source driving plate tectonics. The eruption Sharing an appreciation of nature with our of volcanoes and gravitational acquisition son Baxter is now the project I want to spend of comets both yield water, and this water all my time on. is critical for life. Every critter and microbe Every person in this room is interested needs liquid water, and for 4.5 billion years, in geoscience education. Future students are our planet’s surface has had the right blend of lucky to have you to learn from. I hope you solar heating and greenhouse gas insulation to are as honored as I am to be doing this job. It is essential work for the sake of our species’ Callan Bentley keep the water flowing.What fortune! Every Northern Virginia Community College move we make, every breathe we take, we rely future, and for the sake of feeling at home on geology. here on the most fascinating planet in the In my job, it is a delight to be surrounded neighborhood. by clever people who are largely unaware of Thank you. Citation by Heather Macdonald and the dynamic geomachinations that sustain Robert Blodgett them. You and I teach them to read the world. In every process, Earth generates a little clue Callan Bentley, recipient of the 2014 or two. The cumulative record of these clues Biggs Award, is an outstanding educator held is a fantastic saga: from magma ocean to in high regard by his students and colleagues. stromatolitic ‘slimeworld’ to Snowball Earth His instruction, work with students, outreach, to Cambrian explosion and eventually human and writing have been extraordinary. After intelligence, we’ve come a long way! And we only six years as a full-time professor at have the rocks to prove it. Northern Virginia Community College You and I are the ones who get the honor (NOVA), he received the Chancellor’s Award of opening the world’s eyes to geoscience. We for Teaching Excellence, the highest honor reintroduce our students to the planet, what it’s for Virginia community college faculty. His made of, how it works, how it sustains them, interactive, and challenging courses all have and how it can kill them. We provide a vital field experiences. One that he developed, service, a job that is extraordinarily gratifying Regional Field Geology of the Northern fun. For each new student, we slip a pair of Rocky Mountains, has had a profound, life- geology-colored glasses onto their face, and changing effect on the students. This year lean back with satisfaction as they stare about he joined Joshua Villalobos from El Paso in newfound wonder. Their appreciation is the Community College (EPCC) in a course greatest reward. which brought NOVA students to West Texas and EPCC students to Virginia for collaborative field work. His richly-illustrated Mountain Beltway blog, one of the first in the “AGU Blogosphere” reaches thousands of readers around the world. His pioneering macro GigaPan photography has created a “virtual Virginia” for online geology. Callan was the founding editor of Foundations, the NAGT Geo2YC Two-year Colleges Division e-newsletter. His public outreach has included more than 85 public-interest

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

MARY C. RABBITT followed traditional philosophy format, framing uniformitarianism as offering a previous of a model followed by use of drift as a test. paradigm. The history of geology is not the HISTORY AND Early on, Hank argued that Thomas Kuhn’s only bad fit for Kuhn. Historians of biology PHILOSOPHY OF account of scientific change failed to explain have trouble with it, and so do historians of the plate tectonics revolution. He argued that economic thought, who have to cope with GEOLOGY AWARD Irme Lakatos’ account fared better while Larry Marxism coexisting with classical theory and Laudan’s offered the best fit. then Keynesian economics. If Hank writes a Presented to Gradually, Hank found himself creating short book on the drift controversy, we think Henry Robert Frankel as well as gathering evidence he needed to he should return directly to philosophical write the history of drift. This led to detailed issues about scientific change and the plate studies of marine geology and arguments over tectonics revolution. seafloor spreading, paleomagnetism and their Hallam and Hoffman proclaim that role in drift controversy, and the development Hank’s books are the definitive work on of plate tectonics itself. He consulted archival the subject. It is true that other scholars collections and read their published papers. But are unlikely to redo all the interviews and he went beyond that to do extensive interviews undertake correspondence with the same with many of the characters in the story and to characters, many of whom are now deceased. correspond over many years with central figures But we see the books as a starting point. After to analyze and clarify what happened at crucial all, even Darwin’s Origin of Species was a junctures. And he continually mulled over what starting point, and like Darwin, Hank will be to do with this huge body of material to make it remembered for a long time to come for his available to future scholars. extraordinary accomplishment. The project culminated in Hank’s Here are some topics we think warrant magisterial 4-volume history of drift published investigation, mostly inspired by his fourth Henry Robert Frankel in 2012 by Cambridge University Press. The volume, Evolution into Plate Tectonics: University of Missouri - Kansas City books have already won awards including the 1. The application of plates to continents. journal Choice’s designation as an outstanding This is an exciting story. Hank ends academic title, the Friedman award of the his story with the development of plate Geological Society of London, and the tectonics and its initial application to Citation by Alan Leviton and Geoscience Information Society’s 2013 Best ocean floors. We need regional studies of Michele Aldrich Reference Book Award for his first volume. the reception and modification of plate Hanks’ books have been reviewed in tectonics to the continents. Henry Frankel received the Mary several places. All reviews are strongly positive. 2. More detailed studies are needed on the Rabbitt Award in recognition of his lifetime We mention four here, Anthony Hallam’s regional (i.e., Europe, South America, etc.) achievement in researching and writing about in Isis, David Miller’s in Contemporary reception of drift from the 1920s through the controversy over continental drift and its Physics, Robert Mayhew’s in Progress in the ‘50s. evolution into plate tectonics. He is the first Physical Geography, and Paul Hoffman’s philosopher of science to win it. in EOS. Hoffman’s is the most thorough 3. Permian glaciation. The story actually Hank received a BA in zoology from and informative; he summarizes what Hank begins in the mid-1860s. Hank has some Oberlin College and a PhD from Ohio State covers, and identifies Frankel’s most important materials on later works that need to be University in Philosophy, where he learned findings. Hallam chose to emphasize the pulled together and analyzed as a topic in to appreciate the history of philosophy from contrast between American and British itself to respond to such questions as How Robert Turnbull and was introduced to reception of drift. Hank builds much of his did pre-drift geologists handle it? What philosophy of science by Peter Machamer, story on regional differences in geological use did drifters make of it? How did anti- himself a philosopher and historian of research and thinking, but not as a way to say drifters deal with it? science. In 1971, Hank began teaching in the one is better than the other, as Hallam does. 4. Petroleum geologists’ reaction to plate Philosophy Department of the University Mayhew hopes that Frankel and Cambridge tectonics. We’ve heard anecdotes that of Missouri at Kansas City. The University University Press produce a single-volume work they were slow, but that may have been a strongly supported his research projects with on the controversy that is affordable to students. projection from the rejection in the 1930s. numerous grants. He also won support from We concur. Miller and Hallam imply that Hank 5. Drift and plate tectonics in college the National Science Foundation, American thinks the plate tectonics revolution fits Kuhn’s Philosophical Society, and the National textbooks. What did they say about drift? view of scientific growth and change. Were some specialties more receptive Endowment for the Humanities. However, we and Hank think that Kuhn’s For three decades, Hank presented papers than others? Are there differences among model does not work. Drift and classical nationalities? on the history of continental drift at scholarly geology coexisted as “paradigms” or mega- meetings, including the AGU, GSA, History theories for over fifty years. The only way 6. Drift and plate tectonics in college of Science Society, Philosophy of Science the history of geology fits Kuhn is if you classrooms. When, where, and how? Association, AAAS, and INHIGEO. view everything before plate tectonics as Hank’s papers document the growth and preparadigmatic and make plate tectonics the change of Frankel’s methods and conclusions first real paradigm. But Kuhn himself viewed across time. Initially, some of the papers THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

Response by Henry Frankel tectonics revolution. I’m a slow learner! of plate tectonics, I tried to figure out what What a grand opportunity for a philosopher happened during the drift controversy. I could I am greatly honored to receive the of science to test philosophical accounts of not have done so without the generous input 2014 Mary C. Rabbit History and Philosophy scientific change. It took no imagination to from major and minor participants in the Geology Award from the History of Geology see that here was a post-Kuhnian revolution revolution. A few not only wanted to help me Division of the Geological Society of America, ripe for philosophical and historical analysis. get their contributions right, but wanted me to especially because my own work has been After finding that Kuhn’s model did not fit, get the entire story right. Here I have in mind in philosophy and history of science, and while I. Lakatos’, and L. Laudan’s fared better, especially Edward Irving, Dan McKenzie, concentrated almost entirely on geology and I discovered to my surprise that I wanted to Robert Fisher, and Fred Vine. I also thank geophysics. Nonetheless, I’ve been an outsider know what happened during the controversy Nanette Biersmith, former Administrative to the community of historians of geology; quite independently of testing various accounts Assistant of the Philosophy Department at your honoring me with this award is a tribute of science change. I wanted to find out why UMKC. She edited all my works; her judicious to your broad-mindedness. An undergraduate various participants claimed what they did suggestions greatly improved them. Finally, zoology/chemistry major at Oberlin College, when they did. Epistemology was still central I’ve been so lucky that Paula, my spouse of 45 I studied philosophy of science at Ohio State to my task, but by 1985 I had become more a years, who has had only slight interest in the where I worked with Peter Machamer. Five historian than a philosopher of science. For the plate tectonics revolution, has put up with me, years after taking a position in the philosophy next thirty years, longer than the span between often telling me to quit complaining and get department at the University of Missouri – the rise of paleomagnetism and acceptance back to work. Kansas City (UMKC), I learned of the plate

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

O.E. MEINZER AWARD the elegant application and clear exposition approach, and provided the basis for profound of analytical methods to gain insights into insights into arsenic dynamics. Presented to the problem. At the end of the nineties he did The 2002 Science paper established Charles F. Harvey not appear to have a strong background in unequivocally for the first time that reduction groundwater geochemistry, let alone using hypothesis is a viable mechanism for field and laboratory methods of investigations. arsenic release. In a so-called “push-pull” At that time, few of us in the experiment he injected molasses and tracer hydrogeology community were aware of the into the aquifer at his field site and showed tragedy of arsenic in groundwater that was that arsenic concentrations increased as iron unfolding in South Asia. In a well - intended oxides were reduced to soluble ferrous iron attempt to reduce sickness and disease caused and the sorbed arsenic was released into by the consumption of surface water, villagers solution. were installing millions of “tube wells” that In many ways to me the most regrettably produced drinking water containing remarkable publication is the 2004 dangerous concentrations of arsenic. The work Geochimica paper. It is a tour – de – force of of local authorities in Bangladesh and India, geochemical analysis and established Charlie and the British Geological Survey, revealed as a bonafide geochemist. In a painstaking what to this day remains as probably the most field and laboratory program, including extensive groundwater contamination problem sequential extraction analyses, he and his Charles F. Harvey in the world. team quantified the arsenic solid and aqueous Massachusetts Institute of Technology In 2000 it was clear that fundamental concentrations and general groundwater empirical science – gathering field and geochemistry with depth. They characterized laboratory data – was necessary to make the distribution of arsenic with depth and progress on the arsenic problem. It was showed that there existed a “hump” or peak Citation by Roger Daniel Beckie understood through superb antecedent studies in arsenic concentration at approximately 30 that the arsenic was naturally occurring, but m depth, something suggested by the mass It is my pleasure to present Charles there was no agreement on the mechanism by surveys of villager wells. This paper is still (Charlie) Harvey as the recipient of the 2014 which arsenic was released from sediments to my mind one of the most comprehensive, O.E. Meinzer Award. Through his career into solution. One hypothesis assumed thorough and informative geochemistry Charlie has identified important problems, oxidation of arsenical sulfides was responsible, papers on the arsenic problem. attacked them with a remarkable range of another that phosphate from fertilizer released The 2006 Chemical Geology paper is original tools and approaches, and achieved sorbed arsenic, and a third that arsenic was an integrated assessment of the hydrology many profound insights. His investigations released when iron oxides were reduced by and geochemistry of arsenic dynamics. of arsenic in South Asian groundwater are bacteria during the anaerobic respiration of It employed a simple zero-dimensional particularly noteworthy and the basis of this organic carbon. conceptualization of the aquifer system to Meinzer Award. I don’t know exactly how Charlie became quantify the fluxes of water and mass through Charlie’s early contributions with his aware of the arsenic problem and decided as the system. The paper’s brilliance is the collaborators were directed at understanding a young assistant professor to abandon the clarity of the model: the system is distilled solute transport in heterogeneous aquifers and comfortable world of Cambridge and Laplace to the essential components allowing for a are all notable for their ingenuity and novelty. transforms and plunge into geochemistry. It transparent examination of cause and effect. He developed temporal moment equations was certainly a bold move. This was one of the first papers to interrogate which provide a simpler and analytically Charlie proceeded to lead and implement two absolutely fundamental issues: 1) the role advantageous description of solute transport. a stunning set of field and laboratory of irrigation pumping on arsenic dynamics These equations have subsequently been investigations that are the basis of his ground- and 2) the possible sources of the organic applied in many contexts, particularly inverse breaking contributions including his 2002 carbon that is driving the reduction of iron modeling, rate-limited mass transfer, mixing, Science paper, his 2004 Geochimica paper oxides. The paper quantified the water cycle, groundwater age and effects of heterogeneity. and the 2006 Chemical Geology paper. It is established that natural and dug-out ponds At a time when the dominant model was hard to understate the organizational skill and could be sources of the organic matter and macrodispersive, Charlie showed that simple acumen, as well as the risk that he undertook that irrigation pumping severely disrupted the mass-transfer well explained solute transport to abandon his familiar research areas and natural hydrologic cycle. at the MADE site and is a useful alternative establish a field program on the other side In the four years between 2002 and conceptualization for strongly heterogeneous of the globe, in an underdeveloped country, 2006, Charlie had established himself as systems. When it was thought that pulsed essentially on his own while still an assistant a world leader in arsenic research. The pumping may provide for a more efficient professor. influence he has had on the field is evident remediation of mass-transfer-limited solutes, Typical of Charlie, he took a novel not only in publication metrics, but also in he showed that it made no difference. He approach to his investigations. In particular, the numerous colleagues who have sought showed a fundamental weakness of second- he established a single heavily instrumented out Charlie for collaborations and advice order geostatistical descriptions, which are the field site where he characterized the hydrology since that time. Indeed, almost every session basis of many stochastic approaches. These and geochemistry in great detail. This was a on arsenic in groundwater at an international contributions shared some common threads: key innovation, distinct from a regional survey conference will have at least one Charlie

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS collaborator. And he has made us all better for Harry Hemond, who knows more about the a stunningly broad range of data and models it. I certainly count my sabbatical year with environment than I ever will. But, any of you to characterize the reactive flow system that Charlie at MIT in 2000 – 2001 as one of the who know the details of my research also controls arsenic concentrations. At her faculty most enjoyable and fruitful of my career. I know that my graduate students and post-docs position at University of Washington, Becca know many of you in the audience today will really did it. It’s an open secret. What you has continued to expand her work to include agree that we have all been enriched by our might not realize is that I haven’t had that detailed understanding of root dynamics and encounters with Charlie. many – they’ve just all been really good. redox processes in the subsurface. Indeed, Charlie is not only a brilliant Let me first mention several current That leaves just seven other former and creative scientist, but also wonderful members of my group who just might be student and post-docs. Kaeo Duarte, Holly person. He is generous with his ideas, patient, available for employment. Alex Cobb is the Michael, Brendan Zinn, Kurt House, Hanan open to new approaches and opinions and research scientist living in Borneo who did the Karam, Elena Abarca and Pete Oates. Pete with his impish humor and easy – going work I talked about at 8:00 Sunday morning, was the student too smart to take an academic nature, extremely fun to be around. One of which a couple of you showed up for. The job. Although Pete will never tell you this, he the simplest ways to find Charlie is to listen scope of Alex’s work is hard to believe – he did the most theoretically deep work I have for peals of laughter erupting from a corridor designed and built our eddy flux systems, been involved in. Pete has seen his work to scrum. constructing the towers by helicopter deep fruition, if not in the groundwater literature, Charlie and his collaborators’ work on in the inaccessible Bornean tropical peat then in his remarkable stochastic models of arsenic is remarkable for attacking so many swamp forests. He speaks Iban, Malay and the stock markets and better beer brewing dimensions of the problem, with such an Mandarin. He wrote the code that simulates through reactive transport. Kaeo Duarte is astonishing array of scientific tools, achieving the hydrology and ecological dynamics of the an inspiration in the field of environmental so many significant results. The impact of forest over millennia and is now conducting management. He combined mathematical his work is irrefutable, and his esteem well the analysis of gene flow through the forest. aptitude and thoughtful analysis of how deserved. I take great joy in being here in Mason Stahl, a PhD student, has led our people and cultures value present and future my hometown to recognize Charlie with work in Bangladesh for the last years. To water quantity and quality. I am pleased the O.E. Meinzer Award. Please join me in test hypotheses about the cause of arsenic that he is stewarding the future of Native congratulating the 2014 O.E. Meinzer Award contamination, he directed construction of a Hawaiian lands. Brendan Zinn produced a recipient, Charles Harvey. lake above an extensive network of wells and piece of work that changed my thinking about sampling devises. I only hear about this from whether simple stochastic models are useful Mason, but I know it must not be easy. Mason in the real world. Kurt House has been an Response by Charles Harvey has found geochemical and hydrological education for me. Through Kurt I learned Thank you Roger. It’s particular nice surprises: terrestrial crabs control the flow everything I know about two apparently to hear the citation from you because you through the lakebed and mobilization of old desperate subjects: thermodynamics and have been a model for me of intellectual labile organic carbon from beneath the lake. business. It has been a thrill to work with depth and broad scientific curiosity. I thank Mason is driving the research to answer Kurt as he successfully navigated the world the GSA and the hydrogeology division. I questions we have been seeking for a decade. of venture capital and land rights to build the am truly grateful for this award, but also Our work in Bangladesh began with first successful carbon sequestration company. suffer a bit from the imposter syndrome the interests of Winston Yu back in 1996, Hanan Karam and Elena Abarca have done that undergrads at prestigious universities who first analyzed the severity of the public groundbreaking empirical work on coastal supposedly feel. Perhaps there was a mistake. health project. It’s worth emphasizing that groundwater and achieved new theoretical Twenty years ago Roy Haggerty, Alicia the problem remains bad – very recent insights – let’s publish it and share it with Wilson, Carl Renshaw, David Hyndman, epidemiology shows that in parts of the world! That leaves Holly Michael. Holly, Fred Day-Lewis, Claire Tiediman and I were Bangladesh twenty percent of mortality can first, thank you for the nomination. At a all Steve Gorelick’s students. When looking be attributed to arsenic in groundwater. To young age, Holly has produced a remarkable for a job I was once interviewed by someone launch the project in Bangladesh, I first visited number of important contributions to the field. who conflated at least three of us, those with Dhaka with Shafiq Islam, now at Tufts, who I remember Holly as the new graduate student names starting with H, as one person -- the introduced me to Borhan Badruzzman at the who I suggested might run out to buy fifty prolific young hydrologist named something Bangladesh University of Engineering and 55-gallon steel barrels to manufacture a fleet like Harvaggerman. Of course, I let the Technology (BUET). Borhan has guided of seepage meters. She did it, not realizing misunderstanding stand, and here I am. our project from the beginning and remains, that I had no idea what I was talking about. Working with Steve Gorelick and the group at fifteen years later, a most trusted collaborator Now, I worry that, as I learn more and more Stanford and Menlo Park was a tremendous and colleague. The initial science was directed from my students, I might start to give future opportunity to learn to be a successful by Chris Swartz, a recent PhD from MIT. students real guidance, and thereby diminish scientist and hydrogeologist. Steve’s Chris had the broad geochemical insights to their development as independent scientists. mentoring developed the skills I needed for understand the system and the field acumen And, incredibly, I now have the best group of what came after Stanford. Before Stanford, I to choose the right measurements. Again, new graduate students I have ever had: Alison had an entry-level job at the Richmond USGS it was really Chris who did the work. Two Hoyt, Brittany Huhman and Neha Mehta. You office, where I was inspired by the work of excellent students followed Chris. Ashfaque will be hearing from them. USGS hydrologists to pursue a career in Khadakar developed the first numerical Whatever the set of anomalous hydrogeology. models of groundwater flow at the 10-m circumstances that got me here, I’m now on I am obviously very lucky to be at scale of arsenic variations that we still use to a platform to say something about the field MIT with exceptional colleagues such as guide our work. Becca Neumann mustered of hydrogeology. Mary Anderson recently

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS published a fantastic paper describing how understanding, targeting the hydrologic Meinzer winners have build the foundations interactions themselves, and designing of groundwater hydrology. Where can new field measurements and experimental I go from there? I’ll be brief. I’d like to methods that directly test these interactions. suggest that the future of hydrogeology is in And, ultimately it must be done in the field. interdisciplinary field-based research. I don’t After all we aren’t studying the equations mean the collaboration of a hydrologist with themselves, or idealized lab models, rather we a microbiologist, geochemist or economist. are only employing them to understand the Rather, I mean that the P.I., and hence natural world. the students, need to grasp the problem in its entirety. It’s not about combining a hydrologic study with a geochemical or ecological study. It’s about finding well-posed questions about the complete system from the get go, the system of water and chemistry and biology. Yes, this approach requires a daunting quantity of background knowledge. It’s about knowing the limits of ecological

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

long-term records near hominin sites. Drilling Response by Robin W. Renaut ISRAEL C. RUSSELL of Lake Magadi occurred just this summer. AWARD He is a collaborator extraordinaire, being Thank you Gail for those kind words. I both stimulating and easy to work with. He am honoured to have received this award from Presented to has had a long-standing collaboration with the GSA Limnogeology Division. It is very Robin W. Renaut Brian Jones (University of Alberta) and they nice to receive recognition from your peers for have published over 40 papers on springs doing what you enjoy. (both hot and cool) and composed of both My interest in lakes began very early. I silica- and carbonate-rich sediment. These grew up in London near some ponds, where papers starting in 1994 (20 years ago) are the as a child I spent a lot of time throwing stale gold standard for sedimentary geochemistry bread to ducks. My interest in the East African and high-resolution SEM imagery. rift lakes began when I was an undergraduate Robin has had a long collaboration with student at the University of London, where I R. Bernhart Owen (Bernie); they served took a course on Cenozoic geology by the late as each other’s field assistants during their Bill Bishop, who gave me the opportunity to doctoral research and worked together since. do a PhD in Kenya. Bill was a sedimentologist They are often referred to as the Terrible Two and stratigrapher who specialised in providing by colleagues working with them. They have the geological context for hominin sites in been friends and colleagues for over 30 years East Africa. During my first field season and have published sixteen papers together, in 1976 I visited Lake Bogoria and its hot so far. springs, and immediately fell in love with the Robin is an outstanding and dedicated place. There began my interest in saline lakes, Robin W. Renaut geothermal sediments, and continental rift University of Saskatchewan teacher, as well, and has supervised a total of 22 BS, MS and PhD students. He is a man sedimentology. who sees through the confusing natural world For me, one of the main attractions of sedimentary geochemistry and depositional of lakes is that they can be studied almost environments, and provides clarity of thought holistically. We can trace sediments from Citation by Gail M. Ashley in his presentations. The excellent teaching source to sink, and follow the chemical evolution and behaviour of waters from the I am honored to present to the Division ability carries over to his research. Robin’s most dilute to the most saline brine. The scale Dr. Robin W. Renaut for the Israel C. Russell papers are always clearly written, full of of modern lakes provides an opportunity to Award for excellence in limnogeology through details and have well-conceived illustrations try to tackle the whole depositional system research, teaching, and service. Robin has that tie things together. He is also an artist. rather than just one small part. One day you been at the University of Saskatchewan (in His chapter on “Lakes” that he co-authored can be studying gravel beaches, another Saskatoon) since receiving his PhD at the with Elizabeth Gierlowski Kordesch in day microbial carbonates, and another day University of London. His PhD research in the Facies Models (4th edition) is a “must have” turbidites. These depositional systems have Lake Bogoria region of East Africa was under for limnogeologists for both teaching and huge diversity and are never boring. the supervision of the illustrious W.W. (Bill) research. Thirty years ago the limnogeological Bishop. At that time, Bishop had number Robin has also been very generous with community was very small and seems to of doctoral students to whom he gave free his time for the profession. He has served as have grown almost exponentially since rein (i.e. let loose) on the Plio-Pleistocene in Associate Editor of a number of international then. We can all thank Kerry Kelts and Beth Africa. Robin thrived in this land of scientific journals, faithfully served on grant selection Gierlowski-Kordesch for bringing together freedom and opportunity. The East African committees and as grant director for Research scattered groups of researchers and graduate Rift Valley was full of lakes about which Council of Canada (NSERC), He was one students from around the world. Their initial very little was known. Robin and colleagues of the founding fathers of IAL (International efforts provided the roots for what we have put an end to that. Using field based studies, Association Limnogeology) and currently on today – both the Limnogeology Division of he has made major contributions to the the Board of Directors. GSA and the International Association of understanding of sedimentation, tectonics In summary, this nomination recognizes Limnogeologists. Our informal conferences and hydrochemistry of lakes and springs in the major contributions in research, teaching back then were small (perhaps only 30 to the Kenyan Rift deposits of the Turkana, and service that Robin W. Renaut has made 40 people), great fun, and often field-based Baringo-Bogoria and Magadi-Natron basins. to the relatively new, but rapidly growing in remote locations. From them evolved the With colleagues, he determined the role of discipline of limnogeology. He was one of International Limnogeological Congresses, groundwater in lake chemistry and resolved the first researchers to approach the study with hundreds of participants – Michael Rosen the mystery of why the East African lakes of rift lakes holistically from the large- is organising the sixth one in Reno next June. range from highly alkaline (i.e., soda lakes) scale perspective of rift tectonics down to They are always great events. to fresh. During his career he has published the microbes responsible for hot spring I have been very fortunate to work nearly 90 papers in referred journals and deposits. He has set a very high standard of with many talented lake geology researchers another 40 as chapters in edited volumes. He accomplishment and is most deserving of who have taught me so much and frequently is one of the scientific field team for the Lake the Israel C. Russell award. I am honored corrected some of my wilder ideas. Among Magadi Basin drilling area for the HSPDP to be able to give Robin recognition for his them are Jean-Jacques Tiercelin, Beth (Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling achievements. Gierlowski-Kordesch, Gail Ashley, Tim Project), in this international effort to obtain

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

Lowenstein, Jenni Scott, Andy Cohen, Dan Our discipline is in a healthy state. Deocampo, Michael Rosen, and Michael The paleoclimate records preserved in lake Stamatakis. In particular, I must thank my sediments are unparalleled, and the future of close friend and colleague, Bernie Owen. limnogeology looks very bright. Bernie and I met as grad students in 1975 To conclude, I am very grateful for this and have worked on modern and ancient award and sincerely thank the Limnogeology lake sediments in many countries. We have Division, and many friends, colleagues and just finished a field season drilling the floor graduate students who enjoy working on of Lake Magadi, and are now planning a lakes. I especially thank my wife, Lin, for her new project, making almost 40 years of continuing support and for always accepting collaboration and research. I consider part of my absences to do fieldwork, often for this award to be shared with Bernie. extended periods. Thank you all.

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

DISTINGUISHED first, to study mantle rocks and mantle-derived Company, I supervised a technician who magmas in different tectonic environments knew more than I did; an uncomfortable GEOLOGIC CAREER and, second, to integrate trace element situation. Graduate School: Harvard Business AWARD (MGPV geochemistry with field and volcanological School or Chemistry at Wisconsin? I chose studies, and with petrology, mineralogy, and the latter. Assistant Professor Larry Haskin DIVISION) isotopic analyses. His extensive, and highly had developed a radiochemical technique cited, publication list (211 to date) shows for determining the abundance of rare-earth Presented to that he has been extremely successful in both elements (REE). Larry asked me “Would Frederick A. Frey these goals, and his collaborators include a you be interested in determining the REE veritable “Who’s Who” in geology, petrology, content of deep-seated rocks”? I had no volcanology and geochemistry. clue what “deep- seated rocks” meant, but Significant contributions to the replied “sure”. I analyzed peridotites (deep- Geoscience Community have included seated rocks). While discussing my results, working on numerous committees, co- Larry said, “one of us must learn geology.” convening several Geological Society Next semester a course in Igneous Petrology of America Penrose Conferences and initiated my association with the Department AGU Chapman Conferences and yeoman of Geosciences. service as Associate Editor of Geochemica After a thesis defense in 1966, I Cosmochemica Acta for over twenty years. was surprised that two universities were In 1998 he became President-Elect of the interested in hiring a geochemist. Frank Press, Volcanology, Geochemistry and Petrology recently appointed Chair of the Geology Section of the American Geophysical Union, and Geophysics at MIT, was building a new and President between 2000 and 2002. At department. A superb opportunity, but I recall MIT, Fred has trained 32 students. Almost that Frank said “I was a full professor by age Frederick A. Frey all have gone on to successful careers in the 31; no reason you cannot do the same.” Did Massachusetts Institute of Technology Geosciences. he realize that I was already 28? In summary, Fred Frey has had an What research paths to follow? Trace outstanding, highly productive and sustained Element Geochemistry was not a well- career over 48 years. His publications established field, and I was often asked “how Citation by J Michael Rhodes cover an exceedingly wide range of topics, can you ignore 99% of the rock”. I sent almost all in highly rated journals. Many are letters to igneous petrologists who might be I have known, and admired the “classics” that have been highly influential interested in collaborative research. A positive work of, Fred Frey, the 2014 recipient in modern geochemistry. In recognition reply came from Dave Green, who had of the Geological Society of America’s of his outstanding research contributions mineral separates from the Lizard peridotite; Distinguished Career Award in Petrology, he received the prestigious AGU Bowen I was eager to analyze them for REE. Our Mineralogy and Geochemistry for over 40 Award in 1986, was elected a Fellow of the jointly authored papers are my most cited years. American Geophysical Union (AGU) in 1996, publications. We continued to study peridotite Formally trained in chemistry, Fred and was elected Fellow of the Geochemical massifs. Stimulated by John Dickey’s thesis rapidly established a reputation as a leading Society and the European Association of research on the Ronda Peridotite, students geochemist, making some of the earliest Geochemistry in 2000. In my opinion Fred M. Obata and J. Suen identified systematics contributions to our understanding of belongs amongst the greats of modern to the layering and compositional variation. trace element geochemistry of the rare- geochemisty and the Geological Society of Then study of the layered Horoman Peridotite earth elements in a wide variety of rocks. America’s Distinguished Career Award in showed us that to understand mantle This new approach to geochemistry used Petrology, Mineralogy and Geochemistry is a processes our km-scale sampling had to be Radiochemical Neutron Activation Analysis fitting tribute to his remarkable career. supplemented by cm-scale sampling using (RNAA), an extremely painstaking technique a portable rock drill followed by ion-probe that undoubtedly honed his uncompromising analyses of clinopyroxene in the facility insistence on the importance of the highest Response by Frederick A. Frey supervised by Nobu Shimizu. quality geochemical data. “Thank You” to MGPV, Mike and I realized that accurate compositional Later, Fred, among others, introduced most importantly to my students; there is no data are not useful if the sample analyzed was Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis to doubt that without their research skills and inappropriate for solving the problem being geochemistry, contributing to the instrumental motivation to succeed, I would not be here. addressed. In our studies of mantle xenoliths revolution that, including X-Ray Fluorescence A Distinguished Career Award leads me we found that the absence of field constraints Analysis and Isotope Dilution Analysis, that to reflect on forks in the road. Undergraduate hindered our understanding. As part of my improved data quality for both major and trace School: MIT or Wisconsin? In 1956 MIT thesis I determined REE abundances in element analyses. Fred was a pioneer in this students chanted “$1500 tuition is Too Damn MORB. The results, depletion in the most revolution, making possible quantitative trace Much.” The Wisconsin $50 tuition made the incompatible elements, were surprising. Bill element modeling of magmatic processes. choice easy. Why Chemical Engineering? Bryan and Geoff Thompson at WHOI and I Early in his career, Fred realized that to A difficult major, but a BS Chem Eng led used MORB obtained by DSDP to understand understand the dynamics of the earth’s mantle to job opportunities At Hercules Chemical the geochemical characteristics of the igneous and melting processes within it, he needed, THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS oceanic crust. Studies of drill core from the Ninetyeast Ridge, when as shipboard Hawaiian volcanoes were stimulated by M. scientists Dominique Weis and I realized that Garcia and a long term collaboration with we had complementary geochemical skills. Dave Clague has led to 15 papers focused My experience in major and trace element on Hawaiian lavas. Discussions with Mike geochemistry combined with her expertise in Rhodes, and use of his XRF facility, have radiogenic isotopic ratios has led to 30 papers. been stimulating to many aspects of our In closing I have enjoyed my career research. Our studies of Andean volcanoes because understanding evolution of the in Chile resulted from Lopez-Escobar, my earth requires people with diverse expertise only student with 3 MIT degrees. Our efforts working together towards a common goal. It on basalt forming the Eastern Indian Ocean is fun and my career continues. seafloor began with a 1988 ODP cruise to

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

G. K. GILBERT AWARD edited books are, for many aspiring young Space does not allow me to thank scientists, their first source of information everyone to whom I owe so much, but I will Presented to about the bizarre denizens of the outer solar try: Jay Melosh, of course, who initiated me W. B. McKinnon system. into the mysteries of impact cratering and For all of these reasons, and many more tectonics, and who provided the template that there is no space to list here, I think that for a scientific life; the other faculty and Bill McKinnon is a most fitting recipient for students at Caltech back in the day, including the 2014 Gilbert Award. Andy Ingersoll, Dewey Muhleman, Gene Shoemaker, and Peter Goldreich; Bob Strom of the University of Arizona, who Response by W. B. McKinnon needed a postdoc to study icy satellites right I thank Jay for his gracious remarks. I when I needed a job; Larry Haskin and also thank my luck to be born in the middle the department at Washington University of the 20th century. I was able to see the in St. Louis, who took a chance offering a Moon and planets revealed one by one as the faculty position to a greenhorn; my parents, real places they are. As a boy I was utterly grandparents, siblings, and uncles; my most captivated by the far off worlds of our solar excellent former students, many of whom system, but had to be contented with low- made the trek to Vancouver; numerous resolution telescopic images or illustrations colleagues and bffs (many of whom are the Bill McKinnon from the imagination. I went to college same); and of course my lovely and talented Washington University in St Louis (MIT) to study science in some form, but it wife Kate and our children. only became clear with time that the path to In closing, I will simply say that it is the planets, for me, lay through geology. I wonderful to reconvene, as we periodically remain forever grateful for my undergraduate do, this tribe of like-minded planet and Citation by Jay Melosh grounding, in both physics and geology, (especially) icy satellite enthusiasts. Planetary and for such inspirational teachers as Irwin science, and especially planetary geology, It is a great pleasure to see the Gilbert Shapiro and John Lewis. is never, ever boring. New discoveries roll Award presented to William B. McKinnon. G. Heading out west for the first time, I in endlessly, enriching and ennobling the K. Gilbert excelled in applying quantitative landed at Caltech, and began my graduate common heritage of humankind. reasoning to geologic and planetary processes, work with Jay Melosh, someone who needs no a talent evident in Bill’s own research. Bill’s introduction given his immense contributions distinguished career in Planetary Science to planetary science. Our initial theoretical began in 1981 at Caltech, where his PhD (and a bit of experimental) work in impact dissertation focused on the mechanics of cratering was fascinating enough, but what complex crater formation. This work shortly valorized my graduate years were the launch developed into the ring tectonic theory of and arrival of the twin Voyagers at Jupiter. multiringed basin formation, a theory that Entirely new worlds to explore and understand has received spectacular verification from the (by which I mean the satellites)! I have never GRAIL gravity investigation of the Orientale looked back (or at least not much). The one- basin on the Moon. Bill’s true love, however, score-and-two midsize and large satellites always lay in the outer part of our solar of the giant planets illustrate splendidly system, where the icy moons of the giant the variation possible in geological and planets captured most of his later attention. geophysical evolution, and the uncountable Bill was one of the first to recognize that number of dwarf planets in deep solar space the bright lanes arcing across Galileo Regio provide a boundless scientific frontier. on Ganymede form a ring system similar It was also in graduate school that I to (but larger than) the Valhalla system on discovered G.K. Gilbert, whose papers can Callisto. He has been a leading investigator still be read with profit — for their insights, of convection in Europa’s icy shell in prescience, and methodology. Indeed, I collaboration with a long list of students and continue to assign his 1896 Science paper on postdocs. He proposed an impact origin for “a topographic problem” (Meteor Crater) in Charon, the major satellite of the dwarf planet my planetary geology class, as an example Pluto and is participating in the upcoming of coming to the wrong conclusion for all the flyby of that object. Most recently he played right reasons. Nature can be subtle, and it is an important role in defining the nature and so important to question one’s assumptions. origin of Iapetus’ (and Enceladus’) equatorial Gilbert’s expert consideration of the impact ridge. Bill has been an active advocate for problem and the surface of the Moon make planetary science and exploration. He has him, in my view, the first true planetary a talent for clearly summarizing complex geologist. I am deeply honored to receive this information and his many review papers and award named for him.

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

(2) Best practices in sedimentology. is debated. The NAVC record and its tight KIRK BRYAN AWARD The basis of the chronology is ultimately correlation to the Greenland Ice Core record Presented to John C. Ridge the varved sediments, annual deposits makes it a valuable tool to guide predictions accumulated in lakes from glacial meltwater. of future sea level rise. with John C. Ridge, Greg Balco, Robert The paper presents beautiful, high-resolution In summary, the Ridge et al. 2012 L. Bayless, Catherine C. Beck, Laura B. photos of the sediments. The close-ups of the publication in AJS is a paper of great Carter, Jody L. Dean, Emily B. Voytek, laminae show the inter-annular variability at distinction advancing the sciences of Jeremy H. Wei different locations. No two varves are alike, geomorphology and Quaternary geology. Built For but the rhythmic beat of the annual cycle is on over 2 decades of research and presented “The new North American varve chronology: clearly depicted and reflects the sedimentation in a clear readable document, this publication a precise record of southeastern Laurentide processes that formed them. The detailed logs will have impact on our science for years to Ice Sheet deglaciation and climate, of the varves are the paper’s key data source. come. It is most deserving of the QG&G 18.2–12.5 kyr BP, and correlations with Greenland ice core records” 2012, American (3) Best practices in stratigraphy. The Kirk Bryan Award. Journal of Science 312: 685-722. varves in New England were recorded and compiled by Ernst Antevs (1922). But, his record was “floating” and there were gaps, Response by John C. Ridge some minor errors, and there was a general Thank you, Gail for your very kind lack of confidence in his findings because of words. It is both a great honor and a humbling the paucity of independent dating. Ridge and experience to receive the Kirk Bryan Award co-authors revised the NAVC, established a and we thank the Quaternary Geology and credible record by using cores combined with Geomorphology Division for making this outcrop data and radiocarbon dates. They award possible. Our gratitude goes to the corrected the errors in Antev’s record, closed people and organizations that made our work a major gap and extended the record by ~1000 possible. We would like to thank the National years. Using detailed logs of varves and basic Science Foundation and the drillers of the principles of stratigraphy, the record now U.S. Geological Survey, especially Glen reaches 5,659 continuous years spanning most Berwick, Eugene Cobbs, and Jeff Grey. Also, of the last deglaciation. Carl Koteff of the USGS and former New (4) Interpretation of Laurentide Ice Sheet Hampshire State Geologist Gene Boudette dynamics. The precise chronology (within ~ a both supported field mapping in southwestern John C. Ridge decade) represented by the NAVC has opened New Hampshire that would prove to be Tufts University doors to interpreting both the environment invaluable in finding critical drilling sites. in which the varves formed (dynamics of the Our paper was the culmination many smaller northeastern portion of Laurentide Ice Sheet), studies over the last 25 years, mostly by as well as other records associated with undergraduate students at Tufts. They put the Citation by Gail M. Ashley deglaciation, such as local climate changes, pieces in place that would be critical to turning sea level rise, moraine belts, re-vegetation the original New England Varve Chronology This is a truly an outstanding paper that of the landscape, migration of animals, and into a continuous, calibrated sequence. represents major advancements in the fields of arrival of humans. I am thankful for the recognition both Quaternary geology and geomorphology (5) Potential for determining the our paper has received, but not just for (the corner stones of the Division). response of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets the scientific merit that it may have. The The paper is concise, well written and to climate change. One of the extraordinary American Journal of Science and its editors the concepts and results summarized clearly. outcomes of the American Journal of Science allowed us to pursue other objectives as It represents over two decades of meticulous paper is the potential for correlation of the well. First, it is our hope that the paper will field and laboratory work and yet the data NAVC to the Greenland Ice Core record. provoke interest in varve chronology in North are synthesized and presented in just a few Comparison of varve thickness records with America, which has been under-utilized for diagrams. The paper summarizes nearly 6000 Greenland ice-core climate records show that too long. There are many untapped reservoirs years represented by the North American after 15,000 yr BP, climate changes of sub- of varves that would lend themselves to Varve Chronology (NAVC). I highlight below century and longer scales recorded in both glacial stratigraphy. Varves are more than just what I think are the 6 major contributions of records appear identical and synchronous a time scale because they can dovetail with this landmark publication: indicating there was a link between North many other types of investigations, including: (1) An interdisciplinary approach to Atlantic climate and marginal processes of radiocarbon chronology, precise ages and collection and integration of data. The paper the southeastern sector of the Laurentide Ice rates of deglaciation, variations in weather was based on the knowledge of local and Sheet. Prior to 15,000 yr BP the correlation is and climate, correlation with ice core records, regional field relations of glacial deposits not as strong suggesting dominance by local paleomagnetic stratigraphy, cosmogenic in a vast area from southern Connecticut factors. nuclide dating of deglaciation, and the to Quebec. It required the integration of (6) The varve record is a yard stick chronology of trace and microfossils. We have geomorphology, sedimentology, stratigraphy against which future climate change can be only scratched the surface in these endeavors, and glacial geology on a range of temporal compared. With the planet warming, modern even in New England where glacial lakes and and spatial scales. ice sheets will likely contribute to eustatic long varve sequences are abundant and well sea level rise, but how much and at what rate studied.

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

Another objective was to write a paper Varve Chronology and was intrigued by to qualify my admiration. He arrived in that would be a widely-read educational it, I didn’t arrive with the idea of studying America from Sweden in 1920 with his publication. As much as possible, we hope the varve chronology. However, I had the good mentor Gerard De Geer. By 1922 Antevs paper will inspire budding “varve-ologists” fortune of being a friend of Fred Larsen published 90% of the New England Varve and inform the Quaternary community of the (now emeritus) at Norwich University in Chronology with field measurement of 101 relevance of varve studies. Vermont. Fred contacted me in 1988 saying, varve sections in New England and New A final objective was to provide an “Jack, I found the Rosetta Stone!” The York. By 1931 he had formulated almost historical perspective on glacial varve Rosetta Stone turned out to be a 20-meter all the other glacial varve sequences that chronology in North America. After the excavation for tennis court material in a we have today across the United States and formulation of the New England Varve clay pit with over 600 varves along Canoe Canada. In his free time Antevs published a Chronology in the 1920s by Ernst Antevs, Brook in Dummerston, Vermont. With Fred’s book on the alpine vegetation zones of the and before the full value of the chronology encouragement we measured the section White Mountains in New Hampshire and could be appreciated, it was mostly rejected and matched it exactly to Ernst Antevs’ wrote articles on the Pleistocene of the Great in the U.S. as an accurate time scale. In fact, chronology. We published the record along Basin, dendrochronology, and the pattern of mention and references to the New England with the first radiocarbon ages from New glacial isostasy in New England. All of these Varve Chronology were not included in England varves in the GSA Bulletin. Shortly investigations have been improved since the later two editions of Richard Foster afterward I received a letter from Dick Antevs’ time but his work on varves still Flint’s textbooks on glacial geology. It was Goldthwait, praising us for our work and also stands. In the 1930s Ernst Antevs moved to a time when varve chronology seemed to be making it known that he had fond memories a ranch in Arizona where he and Kirk Bryan incompatible with the first radiocarbon ages as a teenager of helping Ernst Antevs shared an interest in the climate change from New England. assemble his varve records in the attic of his chronology of the Southwest as it related to There were several scientists whose parents’ home in Hanover, New Hampshire. postglacial archaeology. It seems fitting that work advocated for acceptance of the varve I have also been lucky in another respect. Ernst Antevs receive recognition and our chronology, but they were largely ignored I had colleagues in the Geology Department paper is dedicated to him and his work on by the Quaternary community. Beginning at Tufts, especially Charlie Stearns and Bert varves. in 1938, geophysicists used the varve Reuss, who encouraged me to pursue varves Again, the Kirk Bryan Award is a chronology to assemble paleomagnetic as an avenue of research despite negative tremendous honor and on behalf of my co- records. Most noteworthy is the work of attitudes about varves in New England. The authors I thank all those who nominated Alvin McNish, Ellis Johnson, Oscar Torreson, science seemed solid and as Charlie Stearns our paper and the Quaternary Geology and and Thomas Murphy that was later refined once told me: His PhD advisor at Harvard, Geomorphology Division for recognizing our by Ken Verosub. In the 1970s Gail Ashley Kirk Bryan, always thought varves were a work. also published what is still the definitive great idea and that Antevs’ varve chronology paper on the sedimentology of varves in should not be dismissed. the Connecticut Valley and at a time when We often admire some past geologist’s skepticism regarding varves was high and work as being brilliant, but frequently qualify there were few women in the field. our accolades in light of past academic When I started my career at Tufts, training and older technology. For me this although I had heard about the New England person is Ernst Antevs, but I do not have

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

LAURENCE L. SLOSS AWARD Presented to Chris Paola

Chris Paola University of Minnesota

No citation/response provided

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

STRUCTURAL of his letter writers emphasized his work on mapped gently dipping and horizontal thrust melanges, others Baja BC, others fault zone faults that had the curious property of having GEOLOGY & studies, others Cordilleran strike-slip issues emplaced younger unmetamorphosed units TECTONICS CAREER or Cordilleran tectonics in general. To me that above medium-grade, deformed metamorphic shows his work is highly respected across the rocks. Of course, the Raft Rivers have since CONTRIBUTION board, the perfect record for a recipient of this become a poster child for extensional core award. complexes, and I have had fun wondering: AWARD Many of you also know that Darrel is an what if I had approached the prof in my Presented to exemplary “good citizen” to our profession. typically shy way and said, “Excuse me, Dr. Darrel Cowan We could as easily be here talking about a Compton, but I don’t think these are thrusts, I GSA distinguished service award. He has think they re an important new type of normal tirelessly worked for our division, often behind fault, and in my report I’ll call them “low- the scenes, on things from science plans to angle normal faults.” Why he and I might GSA business. In his own institution he has have received this award decades earlier. served as department chair while maintaining My research projects? I think I worked a stellar research record. Some of you also on them partly by design, but also by know him as the point man for SHEAR—a serendipity or coincidence. I’d like to give a geo hostel in California. Perhaps most notably, couple of examples that may be of interest however, is in what NSF would call Broader to the junior scholars and students here. Impacts. His list of PhD graduates reads like a You have to remember that my generation who’s who in this division—most of them are of graduate students was very privileged sitting out there tonight. Clearly anyone could because we were present at the creation— take mentoring lessons from Darrel! when plate tectonics, promulgated and Finally on a more personal note, I am quantified by geophysicists largely in the sure everyone who knows Darrel cheered marine realm, was brought into continental when they heard he was receiving this award. geology. I happened to be working for my Darrel Cowan We could spent a few moments roasting Ph.D. research in the Franciscan assemblage, University of Washington Darrel, but I think we can save that until as it was called then, but not because we later where we can talk about karaoke or the knew it is a subduction complex. I don’t think contrast in the mechanical skills of brothers that word had been invented. I was trying to (Darrel has a brother who is a construction gain some insights into unusual chaotic rocks Citation by Terry Pavlis contractor), or maybe talk about being desert that Ken Hsu called mélange. But seemingly It is a great pleasure to present tonight’s trailer trash. overnight, we recognized that the Franciscan recipient of the SG&T Career Contribution Congratulations Darrel from all of us is part of the great triad of late Mesozoic Award, Darrel Cowan. I am honored to here! California convergent-margin geology: the present this citation because Darrel is a unique Franciscan the subduction complex, the Great Valley sequence the fore-arc basin, and the individual whose work has influenced so Response by Darrel Cowan many of us. One of Darrel’s nomination letters Sierra Nevada the magmatic arc. said it best: A few years ago our class of graduating I have long favored the idea that tectonic “ Darrel’s distinctive voice and rigorous seniors asked their classmate, Harrison, to elements have been displaced northwards attention to logic and detail has produced a make a few remarks at our departmental along the western margin of North America body of work that has influenced decades of commencement celebration. He said he had by a thousand kilometers or much more. Once progress in structural geology and tectonics. checked a couple of websites for guidance again I think the seed was planted because my Darrel is extremely clear and forthright in about what to say. One advised: “Don’t talk Masters student Lee Fairchild was working in judging his own and other’s interpretations, about yourself but keep it personal. Tonight the Leech River schist on southern Vancouver and has used his significant influence to return I will speak personally, and I’ll talk about Island, and her found that the unit recorded the community time and again to fundamental myself: How did I become a field geologist, an unusual Buchan-type metamorphism field/observational tests on new ideas”. and how did I arrive at working on diverse and two syn-metamorphic deformations. That is a very compact summary of why projects, some of which might have led to this I’ve always liked to read about the western Darrel is here tonight. His career contributions award?” Cordillera, and somehow while Lee was span a broad spectrum and all across that The first question is easy to answer. working I happened on a USGS professional spectrum his works are highly regarded. I During my undergraduate days at Stanford, paper by Loney, Brew and others on Baranof always knew that but I was impressed by how almost all my teachers—Dr. Compton, Dr. Island in SE Alaska that described what I obvious this was in his letters of support for Dickinson, Dr. Page, and Dr. Muller…we used thought—never having been there—are rocks this nomination (and it was a long list—we the honorific then—were actively working so similar that they were once contiguous but spammed the committee). They supported in the field. But the singular experience was had been displaced 1200 km northwards, after my opinion because each emphasized the 1965 summer field course—the “Stanford 50 million years ago. I’m pretty sure that this different things in their letters. To me that Geological Survey”—when Dr. Compton took seed is what flowered into my support for was an indication that Darrel isn’t the geo his first group to the Raft River Mountains in the Baja British Columbia hypothesis, about equivalent of a one-hit-wonder artist. Some NW Utah. We pilgrims dutifully and carefully which I won’t say anything further tonight.

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

Death Valley and fault rocks: around and seismogenic. I probably would have 1990, Marli Miller was working for her Ph.D. discovered the paper on my own, but that on the Badwater turtleback detachment fault chance conversation led, almost a decade in Death Valley. On a few trips with Marli later, to my current research with my UW and Terry Pavlis, I was struck by the excellent colleague Paul Bodin. We were able to put out exposures of fault rocks, so I began a detailed a temporary array of 12 seismometers looking study with my two postdocs, Juli Morgan for micro-earthquakes on the detachment and Trenton Cladouhos, not to learn more faults which we propose dip westward beneath about detachment faulting, but rather to learn Death Valley. And we have recorded them. how the fabrics and textures of diverse fault So if I may, I’d like to contribute a rocks formed in an absolutely certain setting few words of wisdom from a veteran to compared with what we observe in mélanges, the students and junior scholars here, and where there was and is still debate about how emphasize again how chance and serendipity much they owe their character to submarine can influence a career. If you have an mass movements. But as our work progressed, empirically based idea, a hypothesis, however and we were joined by grad students Eliza it originates, that you feel has legs, run with it Nemser and Nick Hayman, and our Fullerton to see where it leads. Don’t be intimidated by colleague Jeff Knott, we found the geologic authorities who may not like it, or because it evidence overwhelming that the faults had conflicts with received wisdom. Read widely accrued slip while gently dipping in the late and frequently. And if you are field-oriented, Quaternary. go look at a lot of rocks and structures. Still intrigued by the idea that perhaps So to GSA and this division, Terry and the Death Valley detachments are active, my nominators, the graduate students, post I happened to be chatting with Dr. Lauro docs, undergrads, and colleagues who have Chiaroluce from INGV in Rome, on the accompanied me on this journey, I want you steps of Moscone Center at an AGU meeting to know that you have been my cynosure, my around 2003. He told me about new and North Star, and for this I am deeply grateful. remarkable results form the Alto Tiberina low- Thank you. angle normal fault in the central Apennines. His group had put out a temporary array of 40-odd seismometers for a couple of years and found that the fault, which is clearly visible on seismic reflection profiles, is decorated with micro-earthquakes: it is active

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS

of geoscience and socio-political issues and agricultural projects initiated then continue to INTERNATIONAL often brought to a successful completion. serve the people of Egypt today. SECTION Farouk believes in international collaboration This encouraged investigations of and always emphasizes on mutual respect landforms in major deserts including the DISTINGUISHED and cultural tolerance. We haven’t seen too Rajasthan of India, northwestern China, the many individuals like him who relentlessly Arabian Peninsula, in addition to the African CAREER AWARD continued to leave lasting impression on Sahara. Emphasis was placed on groundwater Presented to humanity through his thoughtful and caring potential in these deserts. The work in Darfur, Farouk El-Baz work. GSA IS was fortunate to have his in particular, was highly apprized by the presence and wisdom with respect to its United Nations and used to satisfy urgent restructuring and launching of the GSA needs of refugees from the political unrest. International and on behalf of the entire Much of that work was conducted at the management board and overseas participants, Boston University Center for Remote Sensing, let us celebrate this wonderful occasion and which was established in 1986. This allowed echo with Apollo mission 15, Command me to interact with the international geologic Module Pilot Alfred Worden’s comment, community at large. Thus, I served as Chair of “After the King’s [Farouk’s nickname] the U.S. National Committee on Geological training, I feel like I’ve been here before.” Sciences of the National Academies, with emphasis on strengthening UNESCO programs. Response by Farouk El-Baz Because of my belief in international I came to the U.S. in 1960 on a graduate geologic cooperation, It was gratifying that scholarship at the Missouri School of Mines the GSA established the “Farouk El-Baz and Metallurgy in Rolla, MO. That year, Desert Research Award” to yearly reward I saved enough money to attend the GSA a distinguished researcher in the field. In Farouk El-Baz Annual Meeting. The unforgettable experience addition, because students greatly contribute Boston University of enjoying lectures by, and rubbing shoulders to generating new ideas and approaches, GSA with, eminent geologists encouraged my also established the “Farouk El-Baz Student remaining a member ever since. Research Award” to be given yearly to two With a Ph.D. on the Missouri Lead students (one male and one female) to support Citation by Nazrul Khandaker Belt, I taught mineralogy at Heidelberg field research on arid landforms anywhere in GSA International Section is proud to University in Germany, then worked in the world. share the excitement along with numerous offshore oil exploration in the Gulf of Suez. Because I firmly believe in the earth scientists about Dr. Farouk El-Baz being Upon immigration to the U.S. in 1967, my significance of joint research with the recipient of the 2014 Distinguished Career first job was to interpret lunar photographs international colleagues, I accept with great Award. From our point of view it was an in preparation for the Apollo missions to humility and pleasure the “Distinguished easy yet quite compelling task to recognize the Moon. Soon, I became Secretary of the Career Award” of the GSA International Farouk’s long standing affiliation with the Lunar Landing Site Selection Committee, and Section. I look forward to increased activity GSA and affiliated societies particularly GSA Chairman of Astronaut Training in Orbital in this regard by the new initiative of GSA International Section (GSA IS). Farouk’s Observation and Photography. International. contribution to advance desert research In 1973, I joined the Smithsonian and utilize remote sensing data to uncover Institution to establish the Center for Earth geologic mysteries under Sahara Desert in the and Planetary Studies at the National Air seventies kept him fully engaged and enabled and Space Museum. Joint work with Soviet him to reach out so many individuals from counterparts included discussing joint sub-Saharan countries which certainly brought production of lunar maps. In addition, I was science and society together. Farouk is truly a asked to plan the Earth Observations and geoscientist without border and his academic Photography Experiment on the Apollo- excellence and humanitarian contribution is Soyuz earth-orbital mission – the first joint second to none. His professional career began American-Soviet project of 1975. by teaching geology at Asyut University, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt invited Egypt (1958-1960) and Heidelberg University, me in 1974 to conduct research in Egypt Germany (1964-1965). In 1966, he joined and I began studying its Western Desert the Pan American – U.A.R. Oil Company, with Egyptian colleagues. Utilizing satellite where he participated in the discovery of images revealed potential areas for economic El-Morgan, the first offshore oil field in development. Four years later, President Sadat the Gulf of Suez. As a Research Professor appointed me Science Adviser. He continued and Director, Center for Remote Sensing, to show interest in research results to the Boston University, he wore many hats and extent that he once spent two weeks with us quite amazingly dealt with a wide variety in the field - using a helicopter. Many of the

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA