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Centennial of the U.S. geological survey
Orffam~ Geochenustrr. Vol. I. p. 185 Pergamon Press Ltd 1979 Printed in Great Britain
CENTENNIAL OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY The U.S. Geological Survey will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 1979. An Act of the 45th Congress of the United States established this federal agency and approval was granted by President Rutherford B. Hayes on 3 March 1879. The U.S. Geological Survey views this moment in its history as an opportunity to remind the public and all earth scientists of the necessity for research essential in the planning of rational land-use and the conservation of mineral and water resources. Studies of "rock oil', "rock gas', 'asphaltum', and related substances were initiated in the U.S. Geological Survey less than 10 years after its establishment in 1879. These early beginnings of what is now known as 'organic geochemistry' were later expanded to include combined field and laboratory studies of the origin and chemical structure of coals, and of the organic and inorganic composition of estuarine and marine organisms. More recently, Survey geochemists have been concerned with the roles of organic substances in the geochemical cycles of various elements, in particular uranium and germanium. Dictates of an energy crisis and environmental concerns have also greatly expanded efforts to assess potential source beds for petroleum, to establish the distribution and manner of retention of potentially toxic elements in coals, to determine hazardous pollutants in waters, and to evaluate the effects of organic compounds on the solution and mobilization of certain elements as well as on the decomposition of minerals. Other Survey contributions have added to our understanding of the organic constituents of lunar samples and meteorites. IRVING A.
185
BREGER
CENTENNIAL OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY The U.S. Geological Survey will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 1979. An Act of the 45th Congress of the United States established this federal agency and approval was granted by President Rutherford B. Hayes on 3 March 1879. The U.S. Geological Survey views this moment in its history as an opportunity to remind the public and all earth scientists of the necessity for research essential in the planning of rational land-use and the conservation of mineral and water resources. Studies of "rock oil', "rock gas', 'asphaltum', and related substances were initiated in the U.S. Geological Survey less than 10 years after its establishment in 1879. These early beginnings of what is now known as 'organic geochemistry' were later expanded to include combined field and laboratory studies of the origin and chemical structure of coals, and of the organic and inorganic composition of estuarine and marine organisms. More recently, Survey geochemists have been concerned with the roles of organic substances in the geochemical cycles of various elements, in particular uranium and germanium. Dictates of an energy crisis and environmental concerns have also greatly expanded efforts to assess potential source beds for petroleum, to establish the distribution and manner of retention of potentially toxic elements in coals, to determine hazardous pollutants in waters, and to evaluate the effects of organic compounds on the solution and mobilization of certain elements as well as on the decomposition of minerals. Other Survey contributions have added to our understanding of the organic constituents of lunar samples and meteorites. IRVING A.
185
BREGER