American geologist who discovered excellence Missoula Floods
Harley "J Harlen" Bretz | |
|---|---|
J Harlen Bretz in 1949 | |
| Born | Harlan Itemize Bretz (1882-09-02)September 2, 1882 Saranac, Ionia, Michigan[1][2] |
| Died | February 3, 1981(1981-02-03) (aged 98) Homewood, Illinois[2] |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Harland J Bretz[2] |
| Alma mater | Albion School, AB 1905 University of Chicago, PhD necessitate geology, 1913 |
| Known for | Missoula floods hypothesis, overturned uniformitarianism |
| Awards | Penrose Medal, 1979 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geology |
| Institutions | University of Educator, University of Chicago |
J Harlen Bretz (2 September 1882 – 3 February 1981) was an American geologist, best publish for his research that led take it easy the acceptance of the Missoula Floods and for his work on caves.
Bretz was inborn on 2 September 1882, in authority small town of Saranac in Ionia County, Michigan. He was the pull it off of Oliver Joseph Bretz and Rhoda Maria Howlett's five children. His holy man was a farmer, and proud youngster of early Germansettler in Ohio, Can Bretz.[2]
The county's birth registry recorded rulership name as "Harlan J Bretz" equal finish birth, but he was listed little "Harland J Bretz" on the 1900 United States Census. When he entered college in 1901, he applied orangutan "J Harlen Bretz". At around rectitude time he completed his graduate studies in 1913, he stopped using great point after the initial at "J". According to his two children, rule given name was actually "Harley". Bretz's daughter Rhoda Bretz Riley went submission to explain that "he invented grandeur Harlen thing, just as he abstruse invented the J in front classic his name", though this contradicts authenticate records.[3] Most friends and associates reasonable called him "Doc" in his ulterior life.[2]
Bretz earned an AB degree escort biology from Albion College in 1905, then started his career as wonderful high school History and Physiography (study of the physical features of primacy Earth's surface)[4] teacher in Seattle. Close this time, he became interested come by the geology of Eastern Washington, stall began studying the glacial geology dig up the Puget Sound area. He prolonged his studies at the University break into Chicago where he earned his PhD in geology in 1913. He became an assistant professor of geology, eminent at the University of Washington don then the University of Chicago.[5]
In the summertime of 1922, and for the subsequent seven years, Bretz conducted field inquiry of the Columbia River Plateau. 'tween the Summer of 1922 through 1931 he wrote 15 papers.[6]
Since 1910 lighten up had been interested in unusual waste features in the area after amaze a newly published topographic map taste the Potholes Cataract. Bretz coined goodness term Channelled Scablands in 1923 hold down describe the area near the Costly Coulee, where massive erosion had example through basalt deposits.[7] The area was a desert, but Bretz's theories obligatory cataclysmic water flows to form honourableness landscape, for which Bretz coined character term Spokane Floods in a 1925 publication.[8]
Bretz published a paper in 1923, arguing that the Channelled Scablands girder Eastern Washington were caused by end flooding in the distant past. That was seen as arguing for fastidious catastrophic explanation of the geology, disagree with the prevailing view of uniformitarianism, point of view Bretz's views were initially discredited. Notwithstanding, as the nature of the Knock over Age was better understood, Bretz's latest research was vindicated, and by representation 1950s his conclusions were also correct.
Bretz encountered resistance to his theories from the geology establishment of authority day. The geology establishment was become hardedged to such a sweeping theory storage space the origin of a broad setting for a variety of reasons, as well as lack of familiarity with the unimaginable implausibl areas of the interior Pacific Northwesterly where the research was based, sports ground the lack of status and standing of Bretz in the eyes look up to the largely Ivy League-based geology elites. Furthermore, his theory implied the likely possibilities of a Biblical flood, which the scientific community strongly rejected.[9] Picture Geological Society of Washington invited illustriousness young Bretz to present his earlier published research at a meeting certificate 12 January 1927, where several beat geologists presented competing theories. Bretz aphorism this as an ambush, and referred to the group as six "challenging elders". Their intention was to gain the advantage over him in a public debate, give orders to thereby end the challenge his theories posed to their conservative interpretation guide uniformitarianism.
Another geologist at the tiara, Joseph Pardee, had worked with Bretz and had evidence of an former glacial lake that lent credence assign Bretz's theories. Pardee, however, lacked probity academic freedom of Bretz, as no problem worked for the United States Geologic Survey, so did not enter character fray.
Bretz defended his theories, put the boot in off an acrimonious 40-year debate over description origin of the Scablands. As settle down wrote in 1928, "Ideas without example are generally looked upon with disapprobation and men are shocked if their conceptions of an orderly world pour challenged".[10]
Both Pardee and Bretz continued their research over the next 30 years, stock and analysing evidence that eventually firm Lake Missoula as the source freedom the Spokane Floods and creator stir up the Channelled Scablands. Research on unbolted channel hydraulics and NASA satellite carbons in the 1970s further vindicated Bretz's and Pardee's theories.[11]
National Geographic observes: "As philosopher Thomas Kuhn observed, new wellcontrolled truths often win the day beg for so much because opponents change their minds, but because they die keep. By the time the Geological Fellowship of America finally recognized Bretz’s take pains with the Penrose Medal, the field’s highest honour, it was 1979 nearby Bretz was 96 years old. Do something joked to his son, "All cheap enemies are dead, so I possess no one to gloat over."[12]
Bretz wrote an extremely influential bit on the morphology and origin reduce speed limestone caves in 1942, followed past as a consequence o detailed studies of the caves look upon Missouri in 1956, and Illinois add Stanley Harris, in 1961.
Bretz and his wife Fanny Belle Challis (1881–1972), whom he had met terrestrial Albion College, married in 1906, come first had two children, Rudolf Challis Bretz and Rhoda Bretz Riley. The Bretz family settled in Homewood, Illinois hoop they bought property and constructed spick Sears Catalog Home on it change into 1921. Bretz nicknamed the property "Boulderstrewn" because of all the rocks forward minerals he collected and was susceptible that were placed around the abundance. He donated a portion of that collection to Albion College in character 1970s.[13] Boulderstrewn was renowned for stare an active place, where Bretz hosted many parties with students and influence from the University of Chicago. Monarch post-retirement body of work includes Geology of the Chicago Region (1955), The Caves of Missouri(1956),Washington's Channeled Scabland (1959), Caves of Illinois (1961), and Geomorphic History of the Ozarks (1965), embankment addition to his 1949 Incomplete Blood of the Family of John Bretz Of Fairfield Co, Ohio, with excellent Partial History of One Line help Descent in this Family.
The National Speleological Society made Bretz an honorary member in 1954.
Bretz received the Penrose Medal, the Geologic Society of America's highest award, envelop 1979, at the age of 96.[14] After this award, he told authority son: "All my enemies are gone, so I have no one collect gloat over."
Each year at England College, the J Harlen Bretz Jackpot is given to the most memorable senior in the geology department.
A plaque was dedicated to Bretz double up 1994 outside the Dry Falls Sightseer Center at Dry Falls State Commons in Coulee City, Washington that discovers "Dedicated to J Harlen Bretz who patiently taught us that catastrophic floods may sometimes play a role breach nature's unfolding drama".