Richard Doell
Encyclopedia
Richard Doell was a distinguished American
scientist
known for developing the time scale for geomagnetic reversal
s with Allan V. Cox
and Brent Dalrymple
. This work was a major step in the development of plate tectonics
. Doell shared the Vetlesen Prize
with Cox and Dalrymple.
in 1923 and grew up in Carpinteria, California
.
After serving for 2 years as a combat infantryman during World War II, he resumed his studies at UC Berkeley, where he earned his doctorate in geophysics
in 1955. Following graduation, Richard held
teaching positions at the University of Toronto
and MIT. Richard joined the U.S. Geological Survey Geophysics Branch in Menlo Park, California
, in 1959 where he specialized in research on the Earth’s magnetic field
and remanent magnetization
in rocks.
He was an integral member of a team that presented convincing evidence of periodic polarity reversals of earth’s main magnetic field by analyzing magnetization of rock samples collected from widely separated, geologically young, volcanic sequences. Furthermore, isotopic dating of the rock samples provided the first time scale of polarity epochs for the last 3.2 million years . The timed sequence of reversals, with subsequent refinements by this USGS team and others, proved to be a major component of the plate tectonics revolution in the mid-to late 1960s. It not only provided the basis for confirming the hypothesis of sea floor spreading, but it also was a technique for quantifying rates and amounts of crustal plate movements on a global scale. For his numerous unique pioneering scientific contributions and leadership, Richard Doell was elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences
in 1969 and he shared the prestigious Vetlesen Prize
with Allan V. Cox
and G. Brent Dalrymple of the USGS and S. Keith Runcorn
in 1971. Richard served as President of the American Geophysical Union
’s section on Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism
from 1968 to 1970 and as Chief of the Geological Survey’s Branch of Theoretical Geophysics from 1967 to 1971.
In 1978, Richard retired from the USGS to pursue his passions for the new field of environmental studies, sailing, exploration, and photography. Having built a 38-foot sailboat, Muau, he began a series of long sailing cruises to Alaska
, French Polynesia
, and northern Europe
. In 1984 he married Janet Hoare who joined him on those voyages.
Doell died in his sleep on March 6, 2008, at his home in Point Richmond, California, following a series of grave illnesses.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
known for developing the time scale for geomagnetic reversal
Geomagnetic reversal
A geomagnetic reversal is a change in the Earth's magnetic field such that the positions of magnetic north and magnetic south are interchanged. The Earth's field has alternated between periods of normal polarity, in which the direction of the field was the same as the present direction, and reverse...
s with Allan V. Cox
Allan V. Cox
Allan Verne Cox was an American geophysicist. His work on dating geomagnetic reversals, with Richard Doell and Brent Dalrymple, made a major contribution to the theory of plate tectonics. Allan Cox won numerous awards, including the prestigious Vetlesen Prize, and was the president of the American...
and Brent Dalrymple
Brent Dalrymple
G. Brent Dalrymple is an American geologist, author of The Age of the Earth and Ancient Earth, Ancient Skies, and National Medal of Science winner....
. This work was a major step in the development of plate tectonics
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...
. Doell shared the Vetlesen Prize
Vetlesen Prize
The Vetlesen Prize is awarded from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation.-Background:The Vetlesen Prize has been described as an attempt to establish an equivalent of a Nobel award for geophysics or geology...
with Cox and Dalrymple.
Life and career
Doell was born in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
in 1923 and grew up in Carpinteria, California
Carpinteria, California
Carpinteria is a small oceanside city located in southeastern Santa Barbara County, California, east of Santa Barbara and northwest of Ventura. The population was 13,040 at the 2010 census, down from 14,194 at the 2000 census....
.
After serving for 2 years as a combat infantryman during World War II, he resumed his studies at UC Berkeley, where he earned his doctorate in geophysics
Geophysics
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and...
in 1955. Following graduation, Richard held
teaching positions at 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...
and MIT. Richard joined the U.S. Geological Survey Geophysics Branch in Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford to the south; Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City...
, in 1959 where he specialized in research on the Earth’s magnetic field
Magnetic field
A magnetic field is a mathematical description of the magnetic influence of electric currents and magnetic materials. The magnetic field at any given point is specified by both a direction and a magnitude ; as such it is a vector field.Technically, a magnetic field is a pseudo vector;...
and remanent magnetization
Natural Remanent Magnetization
Natural remanent magnetization is the permanent magnetism of a rock or sediment. In some forms, it can preserve a record of the Earth's field and the tectonic movement of the rock over millions of years...
in rocks.
He was an integral member of a team that presented convincing evidence of periodic polarity reversals of earth’s main magnetic field by analyzing magnetization of rock samples collected from widely separated, geologically young, volcanic sequences. Furthermore, isotopic dating of the rock samples provided the first time scale of polarity epochs for the last 3.2 million years . The timed sequence of reversals, with subsequent refinements by this USGS team and others, proved to be a major component of the plate tectonics revolution in the mid-to late 1960s. It not only provided the basis for confirming the hypothesis of sea floor spreading, but it also was a technique for quantifying rates and amounts of crustal plate movements on a global scale. For his numerous unique pioneering scientific contributions and leadership, Richard Doell was elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in 1969 and he shared the prestigious Vetlesen Prize
Vetlesen Prize
The Vetlesen Prize is awarded from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation.-Background:The Vetlesen Prize has been described as an attempt to establish an equivalent of a Nobel award for geophysics or geology...
with Allan V. Cox
Allan V. Cox
Allan Verne Cox was an American geophysicist. His work on dating geomagnetic reversals, with Richard Doell and Brent Dalrymple, made a major contribution to the theory of plate tectonics. Allan Cox won numerous awards, including the prestigious Vetlesen Prize, and was the president of the American...
and G. Brent Dalrymple of the USGS and S. Keith Runcorn
Keith Runcorn
Stanley Keith Runcorn FRS was a British physicist whose paleomagnetic reconstruction of the relative motions of Europe and America revived the theory of continental drift and was a major contribution to plate tectonics.-Biography:He was born in Southport, Lancashire and graduated in engineering...
in 1971. Richard served as President of the American Geophysical Union
American Geophysical Union
The American Geophysical Union is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting of over 50,000 members from over 135 countries. AGU's activities are focused on the organization and dissemination of scientific information in the interdisciplinary and international field of geophysics...
’s section on Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism
Paleomagnetism
Paleomagnetism is the study of the record of the Earth's magnetic field in rocks. Certain minerals in rocks lock-in a record of the direction and intensity of the magnetic field when they form. This record provides information on the past behavior of Earth's magnetic field and the past location of...
from 1968 to 1970 and as Chief of the Geological Survey’s Branch of Theoretical Geophysics from 1967 to 1971.
In 1978, Richard retired from the USGS to pursue his passions for the new field of environmental studies, sailing, exploration, and photography. Having built a 38-foot sailboat, Muau, he began a series of long sailing cruises to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
, and northern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In 1984 he married Janet Hoare who joined him on those voyages.
Doell died in his sleep on March 6, 2008, at his home in Point Richmond, California, following a series of grave illnesses.
Publications
- "Measurement of the remanent magnetization of igneous rocks" with Allan V. CoxAllan V. CoxAllan Verne Cox was an American geophysicist. His work on dating geomagnetic reversals, with Richard Doell and Brent Dalrymple, made a major contribution to the theory of plate tectonics. Allan Cox won numerous awards, including the prestigious Vetlesen Prize, and was the president of the American...
. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin No. 1203-A (1965) - "Computer program for a generic western coal region simulated model developed to investigate potential applications of system dynamics modeling to the EIS process," U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report No. 78-321 (1978)