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Gunter Faure is a geochemist who currently holds the position of professor emeritus in the school of earth science of Ohio State University. He obtained his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961. [1]
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Gunter Faure is a geochemist who currently holds the position of professor emeritus in the school of earth science of Ohio State University. He obtained his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961. [1]
Radiometric dating, radioactive dating or radioisotope dating is a technique which is used to date materials such as rocks or carbon, in which trace radioactive impurities were selectively incorporated when they were formed. The method compares the abundance of a naturally occurring radioactive isotope within the material to the abundance of its decay products, which form at a known constant rate of decay. The use of radiometric dating was first published in 1907 by Bertram Boltwood and is now the principal source of information about the absolute age of rocks and other geological features, including the age of fossilized life forms or the age of Earth itself, and can also be used to date a wide range of natural and man-made materials.
Geochemistry is the science that uses the tools and principles of chemistry to explain the mechanisms behind major geological systems such as the Earth's crust and its oceans. The realm of geochemistry extends beyond the Earth, encompassing the entire Solar System, and has made important contributions to the understanding of a number of processes including mantle convection, the formation of planets and the origins of granite and basalt. It is an integrated field of chemistry and geology.
Geochronology is the science of determining the age of rocks, fossils, and sediments using signatures inherent in the rocks themselves. Absolute geochronology can be accomplished through radioactive isotopes, whereas relative geochronology is provided by tools such as paleomagnetism and stable isotope ratios. By combining multiple geochronological indicators the precision of the recovered age can be improved.
The Horlick Mountains are a mountain range in the Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica. Some sources indicate that the designation includes the Ohio Range, the Long Hills, and all of the Wisconsin Range, while others suggest that it includes only the eastern portion of the Queen Maud Mountains and the main body of the Wisconsin Range. At one point the designation also included the Thiel Mountains.
The Darwin Mountains is a group of mountains between the Darwin and Hatherton glaciers in Antarctica. Discovered by the British National Antarctic Expedition (1901–04) and named for Major Leonard Darwin, at that time Honorary Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society.
Hatherton Glacier is a large glacier flowing from the Antarctic polar plateau generally eastward along the south side of the Darwin Mountains and entering Darwin Glacier at Junction Spur. It was mapped by the Darwin Glacier Party of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1956–58), and was named for Trevor Hatherton, Scientific Officer in Charge of Antarctic Activities at the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Wellington, New Zealand.
Isochron dating is a common technique of radiometric dating and is applied to date certain events, such as crystallization, metamorphism, shock events, and differentiation of precursor melts, in the history of rocks. Isochron dating can be further separated into mineral isochron dating and whole rock isochron dating; both techniques are applied frequently to date terrestrial and also extraterrestrial rocks (meteorites). The advantage of isochron dating as compared to simple radiometric dating techniques is that no assumptions are needed about the initial amount of the daughter nuclide in the radioactive decay sequence. Indeed, the initial amount of the daughter product can be determined using isochron dating. This technique can be applied if the daughter element has at least one stable isotope other than the daughter isotope into which the parent nuclide decays.
Isotope geochemistry is an aspect of geology based upon the study of natural variations in the relative abundances of isotopes of various elements. Variations in isotopic abundance are measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry, and can reveal information about the ages and origins of rock, air or water bodies, or processes of mixing between them.
Isotope fractionation describes fractionation processes that affect the relative abundance of isotopes, phenomena which are taken advantage of in isotope geochemistry and other fields. Normally, the focus is on stable isotopes of the same element. Isotopic fractionation can be measured by isotope analysis, using isotope-ratio mass spectrometry or cavity ring-down spectroscopy to measure ratios of isotopes, an important tool to understand geochemical and biological systems. For example, biochemical processes cause changes in ratios of stable carbon isotopes incorporated into biomass.
Shackleton Coast is that portion of the coast along the west side of the Ross Ice Shelf between Cape Selborne and Airdrop Peak at the east side of Beardmore Glacier in Antarctica. Named by New Zealand Antarctic Place-Names Committee (NZ-APC) in 1961 after Sir Ernest Shackleton. He accompanied Scott on the southern journey during the Discovery expedition (1901–04) and subsequently led three Antarctic expeditions. On the British Antarctic Expedition (1907–09), Shackleton discovered the area beyond Shackleton Inlet to the Beardmore Glacier, and was the first to find a practicable route to the South Pole. Lack of food stopped him 97 miles (180 km) from his goal.
Sheehan Glacier is a steep and extremely broken glacier draining from the vicinity of Miller Peak in the Explorers Range, Bowers Mountains, Antarctica, and entering the Rennick Glacier just south of Alvarez Glacier. Named by the northern party of New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE), 1963–64, for Maurice Sheehan, mountaineer who wintered at Scott Base in 1963, and was a field party assistant with the expedition.
The term strewn field indicates the area where meteorites from a single fall are dispersed. It is also often used for the area containing tektites produced by large meteorite impact.
Borchgrevink Nunatak is a nunatak 1.5 nautical miles (3 km) long which rises to 650 metres (2,130 ft), standing at the south side of the entrance to Richthofen Pass, on the east coast of Graham Land. It was discovered in 1902 by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition under Otto Nordenskiöld, who named it for C. E. Borchgrevink, leader of the British Antarctic Expedition, 1898–1900, to Victoria Land.
Oscar II Coast is that portion of the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula between Cape Fairweather to the north, and Cape Alexander to the south. Discovered in 1893 by Captain C.A. Larsen, who named it for King Oscar II of Norway and Sweden. To the north of this coast is Nordenskjöld Coast.
Welcome Mountain is a very prominent mountain that is surmounted by three peaks, the highest 2,505 m, standing 5 nautical miles (9 km) southeast of Mount Southard in the Outback Nunataks. Discovered and named by the U.S. Victoria Land Traverse party, 1959–60. So named because it was the first mountain visited by the traverse party after crossing the interior plateau and not seeing any mountains or landmark features for nearly three months.
Mummy Pond is a pond between Suess and Lacroix Glaciers in Taylor Valley, Victoria Land. So named by T.L. Pewe, U.S. geologist who visited the area in December 1957, because of the mummified seals found around the pond.
Derrick Peak is a prominent ice-free peak, 2,070 metres (6,800 ft) high, overlooking the south side of Hatherton Glacier, 3 nautical miles (6 km) west of the north end of Johnstone Ridge. It was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names for Robert O. Derrick of the U.S. Weather Bureau, who served as assistant to the United States Antarctic Research Program Representative at Christchurch from 1960 until his death in 1966.
Donald James DePaolo is an American professor of geochemistry in the department of earth and planetary science at the University of California, Berkeley and associate laboratory director for energy and environmental sciences at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The term stable isotope has a meaning similar to stable nuclide, but is preferably used when speaking of nuclides of a specific element. Hence, the plural form stable isotopes usually refers to isotopes of the same element. The relative abundance of such stable isotopes can be measured experimentally, yielding an isotope ratio that can be used as a research tool. Theoretically, such stable isotopes could include the radiogenic daughter products of radioactive decay, used in radiometric dating. However, the expression stable-isotope ratio is preferably used to refer to isotopes whose relative abundances are affected by isotope fractionation in nature. This field is termed stable isotope geochemistry.
The McMurdo Volcanic Group is a large group of Cenozoic volcanic rocks in the western Ross Sea and central Transantarctic Mountains areas of Antarctica. It is one of the largest provinces of alkaline volcanism in the world, having formed as a result of continental rifting along the West Antarctic Rift System. The McMurdo Volcanic Group is part of the Western Ross Supergroup, a stratigraphic unit that also includes the Meander Intrusive Group.
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