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Eulogy to Allan K. Gibbs
Precambrian Research, 42 (1989) 445
445
Elsevier SciencePublishersB.V., Amsterdam-- Printed in The Netherlands EULOGY TO ALLAN K. GIBBS
Allan was born April 29, 1947 in Torrance, California. He graduated magna cum laude in geology from Harvard in 1969. After graduation he worked for the Guyana Geological Survey, where he met another geologist in their employ, Chris Barron, who introduced Allan to the joys of tropical field work as well as the fascination of Precambrian geology. Between 1970 and 1971, Allan organized and launched many geologic expeditions into the densely forested regions of Guyana, examining the underlying volcanic and sedimentary rocks, the age of which was largely unknown at that time. He and his team of geologists were able to map some 6000 km 2 and locate many economically important deposits. Allan left Guyana in August, 1972 for Imperial College, London where he completed an M.Sc. and D.I.C. in mineral exploration on 'Regional Geochemistry in Guyana'. While in England, Allan also married Hilary Barton, daughter of Chris Barron. In 1975, Allan was accepted into the Ph.D. program at his alma mater, Harvard, with the intention of applying the concepts associated with Archean greenstone belts to the rock assemblages in Guyana. Over the following two years, Allan determined that the geochemistry and stratigraphy of the Guyana greenstone belts were very similar to that of Archean greenstone belts, yet their precise age proved elusive. He struck upon the idea of concentrating zircons from the saprolite formed from the intense tropical weathering of the more acidic volcanic units. This proved quite successful and, with the assistance of Bill Olszewski (then at M.I.T), established that the Guyana greenstone belts were Mid-Proterozoic (2.2 Ga) in age. After receiving his Ph.D. in 1979, Allan taught economic geology, mineral exploration, led graduate student seminars on Precambrian geology at Cornell, and continued his research
on the greenstone belts in Guyana. In 1983, UNESCO approved IGCP 204, the Precambrian evolution of the Amazonian Shield, and Allan became the chairman of its U.S. working group. Allan was solely responsible for the active U.S. input to this project, recruiting members and funding to cover travel expenses to IGCP 204 meetings, which were held in various countries in South America. In 1986, Allan and his family moved to Houston, where Allan, as an NRC Senior Research Associate worked for the Archean geology group at the Lunar Planetary Institute. His strong sense of dedication extended beyond the scientific sphere to include contemporary societal problems. He helped establish field geological and geochemical programs for the United Nations Revolving Fund in Guyana and in 1972, he actively contributed to the Congressional Symposium on Earth Science Aid to Developing Countries, where Association of Geologists for International Development (AGID) was conceived. He was one of the first U.S. geologists to join AGID and edited the proceedings of the 1977 Caracas Symposium on exploration in tropical rainforests, selling it from his office to raise funds for AGID. At the time of his death, Allan was an elected councillor of AGID. Allan was poised to make and inspire further important contributions to the Precambrian geology of South America, and his departure represents a severe setback to the investigations in that region. That rare mixture of scientific prowess and benevolent regard for humanity, which Allan embodied, will also be sorely missed by his colleagues a n d kindred spirits. His premature passing is a personal and professional tragedy. T.C. O N S T O T T (Princeton, NJ, U.S.A. )
445
Elsevier SciencePublishersB.V., Amsterdam-- Printed in The Netherlands EULOGY TO ALLAN K. GIBBS
Allan was born April 29, 1947 in Torrance, California. He graduated magna cum laude in geology from Harvard in 1969. After graduation he worked for the Guyana Geological Survey, where he met another geologist in their employ, Chris Barron, who introduced Allan to the joys of tropical field work as well as the fascination of Precambrian geology. Between 1970 and 1971, Allan organized and launched many geologic expeditions into the densely forested regions of Guyana, examining the underlying volcanic and sedimentary rocks, the age of which was largely unknown at that time. He and his team of geologists were able to map some 6000 km 2 and locate many economically important deposits. Allan left Guyana in August, 1972 for Imperial College, London where he completed an M.Sc. and D.I.C. in mineral exploration on 'Regional Geochemistry in Guyana'. While in England, Allan also married Hilary Barton, daughter of Chris Barron. In 1975, Allan was accepted into the Ph.D. program at his alma mater, Harvard, with the intention of applying the concepts associated with Archean greenstone belts to the rock assemblages in Guyana. Over the following two years, Allan determined that the geochemistry and stratigraphy of the Guyana greenstone belts were very similar to that of Archean greenstone belts, yet their precise age proved elusive. He struck upon the idea of concentrating zircons from the saprolite formed from the intense tropical weathering of the more acidic volcanic units. This proved quite successful and, with the assistance of Bill Olszewski (then at M.I.T), established that the Guyana greenstone belts were Mid-Proterozoic (2.2 Ga) in age. After receiving his Ph.D. in 1979, Allan taught economic geology, mineral exploration, led graduate student seminars on Precambrian geology at Cornell, and continued his research
on the greenstone belts in Guyana. In 1983, UNESCO approved IGCP 204, the Precambrian evolution of the Amazonian Shield, and Allan became the chairman of its U.S. working group. Allan was solely responsible for the active U.S. input to this project, recruiting members and funding to cover travel expenses to IGCP 204 meetings, which were held in various countries in South America. In 1986, Allan and his family moved to Houston, where Allan, as an NRC Senior Research Associate worked for the Archean geology group at the Lunar Planetary Institute. His strong sense of dedication extended beyond the scientific sphere to include contemporary societal problems. He helped establish field geological and geochemical programs for the United Nations Revolving Fund in Guyana and in 1972, he actively contributed to the Congressional Symposium on Earth Science Aid to Developing Countries, where Association of Geologists for International Development (AGID) was conceived. He was one of the first U.S. geologists to join AGID and edited the proceedings of the 1977 Caracas Symposium on exploration in tropical rainforests, selling it from his office to raise funds for AGID. At the time of his death, Allan was an elected councillor of AGID. Allan was poised to make and inspire further important contributions to the Precambrian geology of South America, and his departure represents a severe setback to the investigations in that region. That rare mixture of scientific prowess and benevolent regard for humanity, which Allan embodied, will also be sorely missed by his colleagues a n d kindred spirits. His premature passing is a personal and professional tragedy. T.C. O N S T O T T (Princeton, NJ, U.S.A. )