Eric W. Mountjoy
Encyclopedia
Eric Walter Mountjoy PhD
, FRSC
was an award-winning Canadian
emeritus professor at McGill University
. He was a foremost expert on sedimentology
, Devonian
reefs, carbonate diagenesis
, porosity development and the structure
of the Rocky Mountains
. His research has provided useful applications to the petroleum industry
.
, Alberta
in the 1930s and 1940s. Regular visits to the nearby mountains led him into a career of geological research.
He obtained a B.A.Sc. from the University of British Columbia
in 1955 and a Ph.D.
from the University of Toronto
in 1960.
He left the survey to be an Assistant Professor at McGill University. In 1969, he was promoted to Associate Professor. In 1974, he was made a Full Professor. Between 1993 and 1998, Mountjoy was a Logan Professor. At the time of his death (2010) he was professor emeritus, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University.
Most of Mountjoy’s research has concentrated on Jasper Park
's Miette area, and in particular on its exposed coral reefs from the Devonian
period (395 million to 345 million years ago).
Mountjoy with Queen's University
professor, Raymond A. Price
have mapped most of the Canadian Rockies between Banff
and Jasper
. This work produced cross-sections, which have become classic representations of the structure of a thrust
-fold
mountain belt and have been published in many textbooks.
He has also studied ancient and modern reef geology, carbonate petrology and diagenesis, carbonate reservoirs and stratigraphy. He has visited and applied his knowledge to the geology of Australia
, China
and Germany
.
He has directed the research of over 50 master's and doctoral students, many of whom have gone on to become professors.
Mountjoy died June 18, 2010 in Montreal, Canada.
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
, FRSC
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
was an award-winning Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
emeritus professor at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
. He was a foremost expert on sedimentology
Sedimentology
Sedimentology encompasses the study of modern sediments such as sand, mud , and clay, and the processes that result in their deposition. Sedimentologists apply their understanding of modern processes to interpret geologic history through observations of sedimentary rocks and sedimentary...
, Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
reefs, carbonate diagenesis
Diagenesis
In geology and oceanography, diagenesis is any chemical, physical, or biological change undergone by a sediment after its initial deposition and during and after its lithification, exclusive of surface alteration and metamorphism. These changes happen at relatively low temperatures and pressures...
, porosity development and the structure
Structural geology
Structural geology is the study of the three-dimensional distribution of rock units with respect to their deformational histories. The primary goal of structural geology is to use measurements of present-day rock geometries to uncover information about the history of deformation in the rocks, and...
of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. His research has provided useful applications to the petroleum industry
Petroleum industry
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
.
Early life
Mountjoy was raised near CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
in the 1930s and 1940s. Regular visits to the nearby mountains led him into a career of geological research.
He obtained a B.A.Sc. from the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
in 1955 and a Ph.D.
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in 1960.
Career
From 1957 to 1963, Mountjoy worked for the Geological Survey of Canada, first as a Technical Officer, then as a Geologist.He left the survey to be an Assistant Professor at McGill University. In 1969, he was promoted to Associate Professor. In 1974, he was made a Full Professor. Between 1993 and 1998, Mountjoy was a Logan Professor. At the time of his death (2010) he was professor emeritus, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University.
Most of Mountjoy’s research has concentrated on Jasper Park
Jasper National Park
Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, spanning 10,878 km² . It is located in the province of Alberta, north of Banff National Park and west of the City of Edmonton. The park includes the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, hot springs, lakes, waterfalls and...
's Miette area, and in particular on its exposed coral reefs from the Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
period (395 million to 345 million years ago).
Mountjoy with Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
professor, Raymond A. Price
Raymond A. Price
Raymond Alexander Price, OC, FRSC is an award winning Canadian geologist. He has used his research on the structure and tectonics of North America’s lithosphere to produce extensive geological maps. He has also provided guidance for nuclear fuel waste disposal and reports on the human contribution...
have mapped most of the Canadian Rockies between Banff
Banff, Alberta
Banff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise....
and Jasper
Jasper, Alberta
Jasper is a specialized municipality in western Alberta, Canada. It is the commercial centre of Jasper National Park, located in the Canadian Rockies in the Athabasca River valley....
. This work produced cross-sections, which have become classic representations of the structure of a thrust
Thrust fault
A thrust fault is a type of fault, or break in the Earth's crust across which there has been relative movement, in which rocks of lower stratigraphic position are pushed up and over higher strata. They are often recognized because they place older rocks above younger...
-fold
Fold (geology)
The term fold is used in geology when one or a stack of originally flat and planar surfaces, such as sedimentary strata, are bent or curved as a result of permanent deformation. Synsedimentary folds are those due to slumping of sedimentary material before it is lithified. Folds in rocks vary in...
mountain belt and have been published in many textbooks.
He has also studied ancient and modern reef geology, carbonate petrology and diagenesis, carbonate reservoirs and stratigraphy. He has visited and applied his knowledge to the geology of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
He has directed the research of over 50 master's and doctoral students, many of whom have gone on to become professors.
Mountjoy died June 18, 2010 in Montreal, Canada.
Honours
- 1960, presented the Best Ph.D. thesis award by the Canadian Society of Petroleum GeologistsCanadian Society of Petroleum GeologistsThe Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists is a professional geological society in Canada. The CSPG works to advance the science of geology, foster professional development of members and promote community awareness of the profession...
- 1985, awarded the R. J. W. Douglas MedalR. J. W. Douglas MedalThe R.J.W. Douglas Medal is presented annually by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists in recognition of outstanding contributions to the understanding of sedimentary geology in Canada, commending major contributions to regional tectonics, petroleum and structural geology. The award is open...
by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists - 1994, 1997, 2001, awarded the Medal of Merit by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists
- 1997, awarded the Logan MedalLogan MedalThe Logan Medal is the highest award of the Geological Association of Canada. Named after Sir William Edmond Logan, noted 19th century Canadian geologist. It is presented annually to an individual for sustained distinguished achievement in Canadian earth science.-References:*...
by the Geological Association of CanadaGeological Association of CanadaThe Geological Association of Canada promotes and develops the geological sciences in Canada. The organization holds conferences, meetings and exhibitions for the discussion of geological problems and the exchange of views in matters related to geology... - 1998, awarded the David Thompson Award for graduate teaching at McGill University
- 1998, awarded the F. J. Pettijohn Medal by the Society for Sedimentary GeologySociety for Sedimentary GeologyThe Society for Sedimentary Geology is an international not-for-profit, scientific society based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is commonly referred to by its acronym SEPM, which refers to its former name, the Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists.The Society’s reason for being is to...
- 1998, 1999, presented the Service Award by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists
- 1999, made a fellow of the Royal Society of CanadaRoyal Society of CanadaThe Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
- 2001, bestowed Honorary Membership in the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geology
Cited publications
- Qing, H. and Mountjoy, E.W. (2004): Petrography and geochemistry of Presqu'ile Dolomite, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, In Dolomites the Spectrum, Can. Soc. Petrol. Geol. Seminar and Core Conf., January 13–15, 2004, Calgary, (available on compact disk).
- Mountjoy, E.W., Windth, J., Price, R.A.Raymond A. PriceRaymond Alexander Price, OC, FRSC is an award winning Canadian geologist. He has used his research on the structure and tectonics of North America’s lithosphere to produce extensive geological maps. He has also provided guidance for nuclear fuel waste disposal and reports on the human contribution...
, and Douglas, R.J.W.R. J. W. DouglasRobert John Wilson "Bob" Douglas FRSC was an award winning Canadian geologist who made noteworthy contributions in the fields of structure stratigraphy, sedimentation, and petroleum geology.-Education:...
, (2001): George Creek, 83 C10, Geology and structure cross-section, Alberta, Geological Survey of Canada. Map no.1990A, scale 1:50,000. - Stevenson, R.K., Whittaker, S. and Mountjoy, E.W. (2000): Geochemical and Nd isotopic evidence for sedimentary-source changes in the Devonian miogeocline of the southern Canadian Cordillera, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 112, 531-539.
- Qing, H. and Mountjoy, E.W. (1995): Paleohydrology of the Canadian Rockies and origins of brines, Pb-Zn deposits and dolomitization in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: Comment and reply, Geology, 23, 189-190.
- Qing H. and Mountjoy, E.W. (1994): Formation of coarse-crystalline, hydrothermal dolomite reservoirs in the Presqu'ile Barrier, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., 78, 55-77.