NO. 18, OCTOBER 1969 AUSTIN, TEXAS Editor: Angel D. Leshikar TheMackinTable Deep in Antarctica lies a windswept, snow-covered, table- in the long "S"-shapednunatak, characteristic rhythmic bed- topped mountain whichhasbeennamed for thelate J.Hoover ding and folds of the formation are seen. At least once during Mackin.This tablemakes up the centralmass of thePatuxent thePleistocene glaciers from thePolar iceplateau nearlyinun- Range, Pensacola Mountains, and was one of the few large dated the Patuxent Mountains and wereprobably more than areas in not of extensively exposedrock Antarctica which had 1500 feet thicker than at present. The maximumaltitude on by manprior to Seen in the skyline in the been visited 1962. the top of the table is 2136 meters and the steep sides of the photograph above is the Polar Ice Plateau; its ice drains to table areasmuch as 1000 metershigh. theleft around thePatuxent Range on its ways to the Weddell Therecommendation to namethe table for wasmade Sea. In thepast the continental ice wasmuchhigher and de- Hoover by former students of his, Dwight L. Schmidt, A. B. Ford, positedmoraineson top of the table. ThePatuxentFormation underlies the areaand consists of interbedded sandstone and Paul Williams; and aMr. Nelson of the U.S.G.S. Both Dr. slate of late Precambrian age; it is deformed into open con- Schmidt and Dr. Ford were members of the U.S.Geological tinuousfolds withsubhorizontal fold axes.On the centerright, Survey field party who mapped the areain 1962. 2 October,1969 Departmental News A new member will be added to the teaching staff this Dr. Sigmund Hammer, Department of Geology and Geo- year, Dr. Will M. Rust, an outstanding geophysicist who re- physics,Universityof Wisconsin,Madison tired from Humble Oil & Refining Company on August 31, Dr.JiriKonta, Departmentof Petrology, CharlesUniversity, 1969 after 35 years of service. At the time of his retirement Prague, Czechoslovakia he wasExploration ProcessingDataManager and Geophysics -Dr. Wolfgang Krebs, Geologische und Paleontologisches ResearchDirector. Will received his A.B.degree from Rice in Institut,Universityof Darmstadt,Germany 1928 andhis Ph.D. inmathematicsfromRice in1931. He was Dr. John Maxwell,Department of Geophysical Sciences, aninstructor at Rice and at Harvard before joining Humble PrincetonUniversity,Princeton,New Jersey as a geophysicist in1934. He is Past President of the Society Dr.R.A.Price, Departmentof Geological Sciences, Queen's of Exploration Geophysicists, a Past Director of the Insti- University,Ontario, Canada tute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers,and has authored Dr. Rosendo Pascual, Division of Vertebrate Paleontology, many articles on geophysics and math. Naturally, of course, NationalUniversity,LaPlata, Argentina he willbe teachinggeophysics. Dr. Hans Ramberg, Institute of Mineralogy and Geology, Temporary members of the geology faculty, lecturing in Universityof Uppsala, Sweden special short courses and regular courses for a two-week pe- Dr.Donald E. Savage,Department of Paleontology,Univer- riodlast year, were twoleading geologists,Dr.PaulE.Damon sity of California,Berkeley and Dr. Rainer Zangerl. Dr. Damon, Professor of Geology Dr. William B. White, Department of Geology, Pennsyl- and Geochronology at the University of Arizona,lectured on vaniaState University,UniversityPark isotope geology and geochronology. Dr. Zangerl is Chief Hunter Yarborough again participated in our teaching Curator of Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History. His programby giving a seriesof lectures inSamEllison's course subject was taphonomy^what happens physically immedi- on petroleum geology. The students were very enthusiastic ately after death— and his lectures wereof particular interest aboutHunter'spresentations,particularly hislectureon"Mod- to students in paleoecology and vertebrate paleontology. ern Concepts inSea Floor Spreading." The Department and AAPG Distinguished Lecturers last fall were Dr. John J. the University are grateful to the Humble Oil & Refining Prucha,Chairman of the Department of Geology at Syracuse Company for its cooperationinletting Hunter comehere. University and Dr. Ramon E. Bisque of the Department of Dr. John R.Henderson and Dr.Franz-Dieter Miotke were Geochemistry at Colorado School of Mines. We were also our two post-doctoral fellows last year. Dr. Henderson re- fortunate in having AGU Distinguished Lecturer Dr. Elbert ceived his Ph.D. from McMaster University and his prime A. King (one of our own alumni!) here to talk on geology research interestis structural analysis of naturally deformed of the moonand meteorites.Dr. Kinghas beenCurator of the rocks. He was here to study salt tectonics with Bill Muehl- Lunar Receiving Laboratory, Manned Spacecraft Center in berger.Dr. Miotke,Ph.D. from Techischen Hochschule Han- Houston; he is joining the geology staff of the University of nover, Germany, came to conduct field studies of karst proc- Houston this fall. esses and landforms in the U.S. and Mexico with Ernie The Department was host to a number of nationally and Lundelius. internationally known geologists during the year who came The faculty for the academic year 1969—70 will be as to lecture to students and faculty. This is a very important follows : part of our geologic educational program as it enables the students and faculty to obtain first-hand information and in- Professors spiration from men who areleaders in their fields. The list Virgil E. Barnes,Bureau of Economic Geology givenbelow islongand, wethink,impressive. W. Charles Bell Robert E. Boyer, Professor of Geology and Education, Dr. Richard Lee Armstrong, Department of Geology and Assistant Chairman Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut FredM.Bullard Mr. John E. Galley,Consulting Geologist, Kerrville,Texas StephenE. Clabaugh Dr. Ronald Girdler,Department of Geophysics& Planetary RonaldK.DeFord Physics, University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne,England SamuelP.Ellison,Jr. Dr.HowardGould,Humble Oil &Refining Company,Hous- William L. Fisher, Associate Director, Bureau of Eco- ton, Texas nomic Geology October, 1969 3 Peter T.Flawn, Director, Bureau of Economic Geology participated in field trips held in conjunction with the meet- Robert L.Folk ing. He was one of 20 collegeand university geology teachers Claude W. Horton,Professor of Physics and Geology selected toparticipate in aseven-week field trip in easternand F.Earl Ingerson southern Africa, the International Field Institute,sponsored Edward C.Jonas,GraduateAdvisor by theAmericanGeological Institute and the NationalScience ErnestL.Lundelius,Jr. Foundation. The subject of the 1969 Institute,held in June EarleF.Mcßride and July, was the African Rift Valley System, a 3,000-mile- William R.Muehlberger,Chairman longseriesof cracks along which the African Continent issplit- Alan J. Scott ting apart.Thisseparation,averagingabout oneinchper year, JohnA.Wilson causes geologic features that arenot as welldevelopedinother KeithP. Young parts of the world. The field trip included visits to locations of geological significance in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tan- Associate Professors zania and the Republic of South Africa. Otherparticipants on DanielS.Barker the trip were UT-Exes Joel Watkins and Dick McGehee,for- Ralph 0.Kehle mer faculty Snyder former postdoctoral Long member John and Leon E. fellow EdLidiak. PeterU.Rodda,Bureau ofEconomic Geology AssistanProfessors Bill Belirens continues his teaching at the Marine Insti- E.William Behrens,InstituteofMarineScience tute inPortAransas and an activeresearchprogramon facies LyntonS.Land characteristics andgeochemistryof Baffin Bay,Texas.He went SimonM.F. Sheppard toMexico City for the GSA meetinginNovember and to Dal- LelandJanTurk las for the AAPG meetingin April.This summer Bill taught courses in marine geology and supervised graduate students Lecturers inresidence at the Institue. He and Barbara are still enjoying Brown,Jr., LeonardF. Bureau of Economic Geology the "newness" of their home onMustangIsland. WarmLangston,Jr., TexasMemorial Museum W.M.Rust Charlie Bellagain taught courses inelementary historical Special Lecturer (donating hisservices) geology, stratigraphic principles and paleontologic nomen- Edgar W. Owen clature and techniques last year and during the second six weeks of the 1969 summer session served as ActingChairman VisitingProfessors for ShortCourses of the Department in addition to teaching freshman geology. Ernst Cloos,TheJohnsHopkinsUniversity,Baltimore He attended the GSA meeting inMexico City last November and inthe spring went to theUniversity ofMissouri inColum- RecentFaculty Activity bia to present invited lectures to the Department of Geology there and to participate in field trips. InMay he made field Dan Barker taught physical geology and petrology last trips to check the research areas of his graduate students in fall and igneous petrology and thermodynamics of geologic the vicinity of San Saba andMason. Twoof his students, Jerry processes last spring. Next springhe will teach a new sopho- Namy and Doy Zachry,received their Ph.D.'s in January. more course inigneous rocks. In early October of last year, the 15th Annual Conference for the Advancement of Science Bob Boyer assumed his new duties as Assistant Chairman and Mathematics Teaching was held on campus and Dan of the Department last fall and also served as Acting served as chairman of the Program Committee. Followingthis Chairman for the first six weeks of the 1969 summer session. meeting,he traveled with Steve Clabaugh and Leon Long to Last fall,