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Alan Gilbert Smith

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Alan Gilbert Smith FGS (24 February 1937, Watford, Hertfordshire, UK – 13 August 2017) was an English geologist, stratigrapher, and pioneer of plate tectonic reconstruction.[1][2]

Education and career

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After education at Watford Grammar School for Boys, A. Gilbert Smith matriculated at St John’s College, Cambridge. There he graduated in 1959 with a B.A. in natural sciences.[3] He was from 1959 to 1963 a graduate student in geology at Princeton University. His Ph.D. thesis Structure and stratigraphy of the northwest Whitefish Range, Lincoln County, Montana[4] was supervised by John C. Maxwell[5] (1914–2006)[6] and Franklyn B. Van Houten[3] (1914–2010).[7] In the Department of Geodesy and Geophysics of the University of Cambridge, Smith was from 1963 to 1964 a research assistant to Edward Bullard, from 1964 to 1969 a demonstrator, and from 1971 to 2004 a lecturer. Smith retired in 2004. His doctoral students include Michael Welland.[8]

Research

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Smith's Ph.D. thesis was a major contribution to stratigraphic understanding of the Belt Supergroup.[3] Smith and his collaborators did significant research on plate tectonics,[8] the tectonics of the Balkan peninsula (especially Greece),[9][10][11][12] and the geological timescale.[1] The 1965 paper The fit of the continents around the Atlantic, co-authored by Edward Bullard, J. E. Everett, and A. G. Smith,[13] has historic importance in the establishment of the validity of plate tectonics.[14][15][16] According to Eldridge M. Moores, Smith's 1971 paper Alpine Deformation and the Oceanic Areas of the Tethys, Mediterranean, and Atlantic[17] was "a major breakthrough in our views of the relationship between sea floor spreading, the then new-plate tectonics, and orogeny."[5] During the 1980s, Smith collaborated with Frederick J. Vine and Roy A. Livermore,[18] the author of The Tectonic Plates Are Moving! (Oxford University Press, 2018).[19] In 2003 Smith, with co-author Kevin T. Pickering, proposed a unifying explanation for Earth's icehouse periods during the past 620 million years.[20]

Family

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A. Gilbert Smith's father was an engineer and inventor, who developed instruments for the Royal Navy during WWII.[1] In 1962, A. Gilbert Smith married Judy Walton, who worked for Princeton University Press when he met her.[15][5] She died in 2010. Upon his death he was survived by their daughter[15] and one granddaughter.[1]

Awards and honours

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Selected publications

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  • Creer, K. M.; Miller, J. A.; Smith, A. Gilbert (1965). "Radiometric Age of the Serra Geral Formation". Nature. 207 (4994): 282–283. Bibcode:1965Natur.207..282C. doi:10.1038/207282a0.
  • Smith, A. Gilbert; Barnes, William C. (1966). "Correlation of and Facies Changes in the Carbonaceous, Calcareous, and Dolomitic Formations of the Precambrian Belt-Purcell Supergroup". Geological Society of America Bulletin. 77 (12): 1399. doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1966)77[1399:COAFCI]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0016-7606.
  • Smith, A. Gilbert (1968). "The Origin and Deformation of Some "Molar-Tooth" Structures in the Precambrian Belt-Purcell Supergroup". The Journal of Geology. 76 (4): 426–443. Bibcode:1968JG.....76..426S. doi:10.1086/627341.
  • Shagam, Reginald; Hargraves, R. B.; Morgan, W. J.; Van Houtem, F. B.; Burk, C. A.; Holland, H. D.; Hollister, L. C., eds. (January 1973). "Chapter. Estimation of Tectonic Poles of Inactive Structures by A. Gilbert Smith". Studies in Earth and Space Sciences: A Memoir in Honor of Harry Hammond Hess. Geological Society of America. pp. 23–33. doi:10.1130/MEM132-p23. ISBN 978-0-8137-1132-4.
  • Smith, A. Gilbert; Briden, James C.; Drewry, G. E. (1973). "Phanerozoic World Maps" (PDF). Special Papers in Paleontology, Volume 12. Palaeontological Association: 1–42.
  • Drewry, G. E.; Ramsay, A. T. S.; Smith, A. Gilbert (1974). "Climatically Controlled Sediments, the Geomagnetic Field, and Trade Wind Belts in Phanerozoic Time". The Journal of Geology. 82 (5): 531–553. Bibcode:1974JG.....82..531D. doi:10.1086/628005.
  • Briden, J. C.; Drewry, G. E.; Smith, A. Gilbert (1974). "Phanerozoic Equal-Area World Maps". The Journal of Geology. 82 (5): 554–574. Bibcode:1974JG.....82..554B. doi:10.1086/628006.
  • Smith, Alan Gilbert; Woodcock, Nigel H. (1976). "Emplacement model for some "Tethyan" ophiolites". Geology. 4 (11): 653. Bibcode:1976Geo.....4..653S. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1976)4<653:EMFSTO>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0091-7613.
  • Smith, A. G. (1981). "Subduction and coeval thrust belts, with particular reference to North America". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 9 (1): 111–124. Bibcode:1981GSLSP...9..111S. doi:10.1144/GSL.SP.1981.009.01.10.
  • Smith, A. G.; Woodcock, N. H. (1982). "Tectonic syntheses of the Alpine-Mediterranean region: A review". Alpine-Mediterranean Geodynamics. Geodynamics Series. Vol. 7. pp. 15–38. doi:10.1029/GD007p0015. ISBN 0-87590-503-X.
  • Livermore, R. A.; Vine, F. J.; Smith, A. G. (1984). "Plate motions and the geomagnetic field -- II. Jurassic to Tertiary". Geophysical Journal International. 79 (3): 939–961. Bibcode:1984GeoJ...79..939L. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.1984.tb02878.x.
  • Livermore, Roy A.; Smith, Alan G. (1985). "Some Boundary Conditions for the Evolution of the Mediterranean Region". Geological Evolution of the Mediterranean Basin. pp. 83–98. doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-8572-1_5. ISBN 978-1-4613-8574-5.
  • Pickering, Kevin T.; Smith, Alan G. (1995). "Arcs and backarc basins in the Early Paleozoic lapetus Ocean". Island Arc. 4 (1): 1–67. Bibcode:1995IsArc...4....1P. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1738.1995.tb00132.x.
  • Smith, A. G. (1997). "Estimates of the Earth's spin (Geographic) axis relative to Gondwana from glacial sediments and paleomagnetism". Earth-Science Reviews. 42 (3): 161–179. Bibcode:1997ESRv...42..161S. doi:10.1016/S0012-8252(96)00047-5.
  • Smith, A.G. (1999). "Gondwana: Its shape, size and position from Cambrian toTriassic times". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 28 (1): 71–97. Bibcode:1999JAfES..28...71S. doi:10.1016/S0899-5362(99)00020-2.
  • Smith, Alan G. (2000). "2. Paleomagnetically and Tectonically Based Global Maps for Vendian to Mid-Ordovician Time". The Ecology of the Cambrian Radiation. pp. 11–46. doi:10.7312/zhur10612-002. ISBN 978-0-231-10613-9.
  • Smith, A. G. (2006). "Tethyan ophiolite emplacement, Africa to Europe motions, and Atlantic spreading". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 260 (1): 11–34. Bibcode:2006GSLSP.260...11S. doi:10.1144/GSL.SP.2006.260.01.02.
  • Briden, J. C.; Smith, A. Gilbert; Sallomy, J. T. (2007). "The Geomagnetic Field in Permo-Triassic Time". Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society. 23: 101–117. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.1971.tb01805.x.
  • Gibbard, Philip L.; Smith, Alan G.; Zalasiewicz, Jan A.; Barry, Tiffany L.; Cantrill, David; Coe, Angela L.; Cope, John C. W.; Gale, Andrew S.; Gregory, F. John; Powell, John H.; Rawson, Peter F.; Stone, Philip; Waters, Colin N. (2008). "What status for the Quaternary?". Boreas. 34: 1–6. doi:10.1111/j.1502-3885.2005.tb01000.x.
  • Smith, Alan G. (2009). "Neoproterozoic timescales and stratigraphy". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 326 (1): 27–54. Bibcode:2009GSLSP.326...27S. doi:10.1144/SP326.2.
  • Smith, A. G. (2012). "A review of the Ediacaran to Early Cambrian ('Infra-Cambrian') evaporites and associated sediments of the Middle East". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 366 (1): 229–250. Bibcode:2012GSLSP.366..229S. doi:10.1144/SP366.12.
  • Smith, Alan G. (2013). "A Possible Influence of Tethyan Ophiolite Emplacement on North and Central Atlantic Spreading". Acta Geologica Sinica - English Edition. 87: 185–202. Bibcode:2013AcGlS..87S.185S. doi:10.1111/1755-6724.12148_3.
  • Smith, Alan G.; Barry, Tiffany; Bown, Paul; Cope, John; Gale, Andy; Gibbard, Philip; Gregory, John; Hounslow, Mark; Kemp, David; Knox, Robert; Marshall, John; Oates, Michael; Rawson, Peter; Powell, John; Waters, Colin (2015). "GSSPS, global stratigraphy and correlation". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 404 (1): 37–67. Bibcode:2015GSLSP.404...37S. doi:10.1144/SP404.8.

Books

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Palmer, Douglas. "Alan Gilbert Smith 1937-2017". The Geological Society of London.
  2. ^ Bullard, Edward; Everett, J. E.; Smith, A. Gilbert (1965). "The fit of the continents around the Atlantic". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences. 258 (1088): 41–51. Bibcode:1965RSPTA.258...41B. doi:10.1098/rsta.1965.0020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Smith, Alan Gilbert". Archive Catalogue, Geological Society of London; reference number: LDGSL/1109{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) (papers from 1955 to 2016 of Alan Gilbert Smith)
  4. ^ Smith, Alan Gilbert (1963). "Structure and stratigraphy of the northwest Whitefish Range, Lincoln County, Montana". Princeton University Library; catalog entry for Ph.D. thesis — Princeton University{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  5. ^ a b c "Geological Society of America - 2007 International Division Distinguished Career Award - Citation & Response; Citation by Eldridge Moores; Response by Alan Gilbert Smith".
  6. ^ "John C. Maxwell (1914–2006)". Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin.
  7. ^ MacPherson, Kitta (September 14, 2010). "Franklyn Van Houten, expert on sedimentary rocks, dies at 96". News, Princeton University.
  8. ^ a b Welland, Michael (February 18, 2010). "Genesis of a geophysical icon — and a clarification for the Royal Society". Through the Sandglass (blog).
  9. ^ a b Dilek, Yildirim (17 March 2007). "Geological Society of America nomination letter for 2007 Distinguished Career Award to Aland Gilbert Smith" (PDF). rock.geosociety.org.
  10. ^ Smith, A. G.; Woodcock, N. H.; Naylor, M. A. (1979). "The structural evolution of a Mesozoic continental margin, Othris Mountains, Greece". Journal of the Geological Society. 136 (5): 589–601. Bibcode:1979JGSoc.136..589S. doi:10.1144/gsjgs.136.5.0589.
  11. ^ Smith, Alan G. (1993). "Tectonic significance of the Hellenic-Dinaric ophiolites". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 76 (1): 213–243. Bibcode:1993GSLSP..76..213S. doi:10.1144/GSL.SP.1993.076.01.10.
  12. ^ Dilek, Yildirim; Newcomb, Sally, eds. (2003). "Chapter. The evolution of ideas for the origin and emplacement of the western Hellenic ophiolite by A. G. Smith and A. Rassios". Ophiolite Concept and the Evolution of Geological Thought. Special Papers 373. Geological Society of America. pp. 337–350.
  13. ^ Smith, A. Gilbert; Hallam, A. (1970). "The Fit of the Southern Continents". Nature. 225 (5228): 139–144. Bibcode:1970Natur.225..139S. doi:10.1038/225139a0.
  14. ^ Palmer, Douglas (August 2015). "Bullard's fit". The Geological Society of London.
  15. ^ a b c "Dr Alan Smith, geologist – obituary". The Telegraph. 23 August 2017.
  16. ^ Everett, Jim; Smith, A. (2008). "Genesis of a geophysical icon: the Bullard, Everett and Smith reconstruction of the circus-atlantic continents". Earth Sciences History. 27 (1): 1–11. Bibcode:2008ESHis..27....1E. doi:10.17704/eshi.27.1.w0v227931k184h64.
  17. ^ Smith, A. Gilbert (1971). "Alpine Deformation and the Oceanic Areas of the Tethys, Mediterranean, and Atlantic". Geological Society of America Bulletin. 82 (8): 2039. doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1971)82[2039:ADATOA]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0016-7606.
  18. ^ Livermore, R. A.; Smith, A. G.; Vine, F. J. (1986). "Late Palaeozoic to early Mesozoic evolution of Pangaea". Nature. 322 (6075): 162–165. Bibcode:1986Natur.322..162L. doi:10.1038/322162a0.
  19. ^ Livermore, Roy (2018). The Tectonic Plates Are Moving!. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-871786-7.
  20. ^ Smith, Alan G.; Pickering, Kevin T. (May 2003). "Oceanic gateways as a critical factor to initiate icehouse Earth". Journal of the Geological Society. 160: 337–340. doi:10.1144/0016-764902-115.
  21. ^ Faul, Henry (1965). "The Quest for Numbers: The Phanerozoic Time-Scale: A Symposium Dedicated to Professor Arthur Holmes . W. B. Harland, A. G. Smith, and B. Wilcock, Eds. Geological Society of London, London, 1964. Viii + 458 pp. Illus. $14.50". Science. 149 (3681): 292–293. doi:10.1126/science.149.3681.292.c. p. 293
  22. ^ Scotese, Christopher (1980). "Book Review: Mesozoic and Cenozoic paleocontinental maps".
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