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Monday, November 1, 2004 Scripps Oceanography Geophysicist to Receive Award from Geological Society of America Scripps Institution of Oceanography / University of California, San Diego David T. Sandwell, professor of geophysics at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, has been selected as the winner of the George P. Woollard Award from the Geological Society of America (GSA). Sandwell will receive the award during GSA's annual meeting in Denver, Colo., on Nov. 6.The award, which is given annually "to recognize outstanding contributions to geology through the application of the principals and techniques of geophysics," is named for the late, internationally acclaimed geophysicist, George Wollard. Scripps geophysicist Lisa Tauxe received the award in 2003.  Sandwell has been associated with the Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP) at Scripps since 1989. He studies geological structures of deep-ocean basins using satellites and ships, with a current focus on the undersea geology of uncharted areas of the South Pacific Ocean. He and a colleague at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration developed the most detailed picture to date of the global seafloor, providing scientists with the first uniform-resolution view of 70 percent of the earth. The new maps were developed by combining newly declassified measurements from the U.S. Navy's GEOSAT satellite with data collected by the European ERS-1 satellite. "Maps of the ocean depth have traditionally been one the richest sources of geological information about the ocean basins, but even today vast areas, particularly in the southern oceans, remain uncharted by research vessels," said Robert Parker, director of IGPP at Scripps. "David Sandwell realized that radar altimetry from satellites, after subtle processing, contained the necessary information to fill the void. He and his colleagues undertook the task of producing global ocean bathymetry maps of remarkable detail, maps of enormous utility to geology-as this important award clearly testifies." In addition to research and teaching, Sandwell serves as an advisor to NASA and the National Research Council on marine geophysical initiatives. He has served two terms as associate editor of the Journal of Geophysical Research, and was an editor of Earth Interactions and associate editor of Reviews of Geophysics and Space Physics. He is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union and a member of the International Association of Geodesy and the Society for Exploration Geophysics. Established in 1888, the Geological Society of America's mission is to advance the geosciences, to enhance the professional growth of its members, and to promote the geosciences in the service of humankind. # # # Note to broadcast and cable producers: University of California, San Diego provides an on-campus satellite uplink facility for live or pre-recorded television interviews. Please phone or e-mail the media contact listed above to arrange an interview. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, at University of California, San Diego, is one of the oldest, largest and most important centers for global science research and education in the world. The National Research Council has ranked Scripps first in faculty quality among oceanography programs nationwide. Now in its second century of discovery, the scientific scope of the institution has grown to include biological, physical, chemical, geological, geophysical and atmospheric studies of the earth as a system. Hundreds of research programs covering a wide range of scientific areas are under way today in 65 countries. The institution has a staff of about 1,300, and annual expenditures of approximately $155 million from federal, state and private sources. Scripps operates one of the largest U.S. academic fleets with four oceanographic research ships and one research platform for worldwide exploration. |
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