Earth Science’s Richard Gordon honored for outstanding research

BY JADE BOYD
Rice News Staff

Richard Gordon, the William M. Keck Professor of Geophysics in the Department of Earth Science, was awarded the Arthur L. Day Medal by the Geological Society of America at last month’s GSA annual meeting in Denver. The Day Medal, one of the society’s two top honors, is awarded annually by the GSA for outstanding research and scientific achievement through the application of physics and chemistry to the solution of geologic problems.

Gordon’s research interests center on tectonics. Using data from many sources — including ships, satellites, aircraft and a number of terrestrial monitoring systems — Gordon studies the movement and deformation of tectonic plates. He studies the patterns that those movements leave in the paleogeographic record, and the ongoing geophysical consequences of plate movements, including earthquakes and the building of mountain ranges.

Gordon’s research also was recognized by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in September when it chose him as one of six earth scientists invited to participate in ceremonies for the 2002 Crafoord Prize. The academy, which administers the Nobel Prize, awards the Crafoord in disciplines not covered by the Nobel Prize. The 2002 Crafoord went to earth scientist Dan McKenzie of the University of Cambridge.

In his lecture to the academy, Gordon discussed the modifications to the theory of plate tectonics that have resulted from research conducted by him and his collaborators. In particular Gordon and his colleagues have shown that large portions of tectonic plates are deforming, which violates traditional plate tectonic assumptions.

Gordon’s research achievements also were recognized recently by ISI/Thomson Scientific, which added him to its ”Highly Cited” database, a list of the most frequently cited and influential academic experts. Gordon soon will join University Professor Richard Smalley as the only Rice faculty members listed in the database.