Robert F. Butler Born: 6 July, 1946 Eugene, Oregon
Wife: Patricia E. Butler
Son: David F. Butler, born 10 September, 1985
Education:
Oregon State University Major, General Science B.S. 1968
Stanford University Major, Geophysics M.S. 1970
Stanford University Major, Geophysics Ph.D. 1972 Minor, Materials Science
Positions:
1983-present
Professor of Geosciences, The University of Arizona.
Teaching natural sciences, geophysics and paleomagnetism.
Scientific research on:
Magnetostratigraphy of Cenozoic sedimentary sequences of Nepal.
Paleomagnetic studies of Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonics of western South America.
Terrane motion and uplift history of the Canadian Cordillera and southastern Alaska.
Paleomagnetic studies of vertical-axis rotations of the nothern Tibetan Plateau and Tarim Basin, China.
Curriculum development in:
Field-trip based instruction on natural history for nonmajors and in-service K-12 teachers.
Enhancement of Earth science teaching through computer visualization of geological processes in space and time, expecially K-12 applications of GIS.
1978-1983
Associate Professor of Geosciences, University of Arizona.
Teaching geomagnetism, paleomagnetism, plate tectonics, and potential fields. Engaged in research on magnetic polarity stratigraphy of continental sedimentary sequences of the San Juan Basin, New Mexico; Big Horn Basin, Wyoming; and the upper Cretaceous and Tertiary of Argentina. Also studying the archeomagnetic record of geomagnetic secular variation and North American apparent polar wander during the Laramide orogeny.
1974-1978
Assistant Professor of Geosciences, University of Arizona.
Teaching geomagnetism, paleomagnetism, and plate tectonics. Engaged in research on magnetostratigraphy of continental sedimentary sequences, San Juan Basin, New Mexico, Verde Valley, Arizona, and San Pedro Valley, Arizona. Also, initiating research in archeomagnetism.
1972-1974
Research Associate, University of Minnesota.
Engaged in investigations of low temperature oxidation of oceanic basalts, magnetic properties of oceanic crustal rocks, remanent magnetization of carbonaceous chondrites, theoretical estimates of single-domain grain-size limits in iron and magnetite.
Memberships:
Geological Society of America, Elected Fellow 1988
American Geophysical Union, Elected Fellow 2001
American Association for the Advancement of Science
National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Professional Service:
1978-1981
Associate Editor Journal of Geophysical Research
1990-1991
Woollard Award Committee, Geophysics Division of Geological Society of America
1989-1993
Macelwane Award Committee, American Geophysics Union
1992-1994
Panel Member, Tectonics Program, National Science Foundation
1990-1996
Associate Editor Geological Society of America Bulletin
1992-1996
Review and Advisory Committee of the Institute of Rock Magnetism, University of Minnesota
1994-1997
Editorial Board Geology
2000-present
Editorial Board Journal of College Science Teaching
1999-present
CATTS Board of Directors
Teaching Awards:
1985 Outstanding Teacher, Department of Geosciences
1987 Burlington Northern Faculty Achievement Award
1998 College of Science Distinguished Teaching Award
2001 College of Science Distinguished Advising Award
Recent Publications:
1991 G.J. Calderone and R.F. Butler, Effects of randomly directed noise on paleomagnetic directions, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 3973-3977.
1991 R. F. Butler, F. HervÚ, F. Munizaga, M. E. Beck, Jr., R. F. Burmester, and E. S. Oviedo, Paleomagnetism of the Patagonian Plateau Basalts, southern Chile and Argentina, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 6023-6034.
1991 D. R. Bazard and R. F. Butler, Paleomagnetism of the Chinle and Kayenta Formations, New Mexico and Arizona, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 9847-9871.
1991 R. F. Butler, W. R. Dickinson, and G. E. Gehrels, Paleomagnetism of Coastal California and Baja California: Alternatives to Large-scale Northward Transport, Tectonics, 10, 561-576.
1992 R. F. Butler, Paleomagnetism: Magnetic Domains to Geologic Terranes, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Boston, MA, 319 pp.
1992 Cole, F., R. F. Butler, and G. E. Gehrels, Paleomagnetic of late Paleozoic rocks in the northern Cache Creek terrane near Atlin, British Columbia, Canadian Journal of Earth Science, 29, 486-498.
1992 R. F. Butler, S. R. May, and D. R. Bazard, Comment on: "High-Latitude Paleomagnetic Poles from Middle Jurassic Plutons and Moat Volcanics in New England and the Controversy Regarding Jurassic Apparent Polar Wander for North America" by Van Fossen and Kent, J. Geophys. Res., 97, 1801-1802.
1992 D. R. Bazard and R. F. Butler, Paleomagnetism of the Middle Jurassic Summerville Formation, East Central Utah, J. Geophys. Res., 97, 4377-4385.
1993 D. Richards, R.F. Butler, and T. A. Harms, Paleomagnetism of Permian cherts of the Sylvester Allochthon, northcentral British Columbia: Canadian Journal of Earth Science, 30, 1898-1913.
1993 C. Swisher, III, L. Dingus, and R. F. Butler, 40Ar/39Ar dating and magnetostratigraphic correlation of the Cretaceous - Paleocene boundary and Puercan Mammal Age, Hell Creek - Tullock formation, eastern Montana: Canadian Journal of Earth Science, 30, 1981-1996.
1994 D. R. Bazard and R. F. Butler, Paleomagnetism of the Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation: Implications for Jurassic apparent polar wander, J. Geophys. Res., 99, 6695-6710.
1994 R. F. Butler and Dickinson, W. R., Comment on "Shallow magnetic inclinations in the Cretaceous Valle Group, Baja California: Remagnetization, compaction, or terrane translation?" by D. P. Smith and C. J. Busby, Tectonics, 99, 218-219.
1995 D. R. Bazard, Butler, R. F., Gehrels, G. and Soja, C.M., Early Devonian paleomagnetic data from the Lower Devonian Karheen Formation suggest Larentia-Baltica connectiion for the Alexander Terrane, Geology, 23, 707-710.
1995 R. F. Butler, Richards, D. R., Sempere, T., and Marshall, L. G., Paleomagnetic determinations of vertical-axis tectonic rotations from Late Cretaceous and Paleocene strata of Bolivia, Geology, 23, 799-802.
1996 G. Gehrels, Butler, R. F., and Bazard, D. R., Detrital Zircon Geochronology of the Alexander Terrane, Southeastern Alaska, Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull, 108, 722-734.
1997 R.F. Butler, G.E. Gehrels, and D.R. Bazard, Paleomagnetism of Paleozoic Strata of the Alexander Terrane, Southeastern Alaska, Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 109, p. 1372-1388.
1997 L.G. Marshall, T. Sempere, and R.F. Butler, Chronostratigraphy of the mammal-bearing Paleocene of South America, Journal of South American Earth Sciences, v. 10, p. 49-70.
1997 T. Sempere, R.F. Butler, D.R. Richards, L.G. Marshall, W. Sharp, and C.C. Swisher, III, Stratigraphy and chronology of Upper Cretaceous - lower Paleogene strata in Bolivia and northwest Argentina, Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 109, p. 709-727.
1998 W.R. Dickinson and R.F. Butler, Coastal and Baja California Paleomagnetism Revisited, Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 110, p. 1268-1280.
View abstract.
2000 P. Ojha, R.F. Butler, J. Quade, P.G. DeCelles, D. Richards and B.N. Upreti, Magnetic Polarity Stratigraphy of the Newgene Siwalik Group at Khutia Khola, Far-Western Nepal, Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 112, p. 424-434.
View abstract
2000 R.F. Butler, M. Hall-Wallace, and T. Burgess, A Sense of Place: At Home with Local Natural History, Journal of College Science Teaching, v. 30, p. 252-255.
2001 R.F. Butler, G.E. Gehrels, and K.P. Kodama, A moderate Translation alternative to the Baja British Columbia hypothesis, GSA Today, v. 11, No. 6, p. 4-10.
View abstract
2001 R.F. Butler, G.E. Gehrels, and J. Saleeby, Paleomagnetism of the Duke Island (Alaska) ultramafic comples revisited, Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 106, p. 19259-19269.
View abstract
2001 R.F. Butler, G.E. Gehrels, M.L. Crawford, and W.A. Crawford, Paleomagnetism of the Quottoon plutonic complex in the Coast Mountians of British Columbia and Southeastern Alaska: Evidence for tilting during uplift, Canadian Journal of Earth Science. v.38, p. 1367-1384.
View abstract
2002 R.F. Butler, G.E. Gehrels, S. Baldwin, C. Davidson, Paleomagnetism and geochronology of the Ecstall pluton in the Coast Mountains orogen of British Columbia: Local deformation rather than large-scale transport, Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 107(B1), p. 3-1 - 3-13.
View abstract
2002 G. Dupont-Nivet, R.F. Butler, A. Yin, and X. Chen, Paleomagnetism Indicates No Neogene Rotation of Qaidam Basin in Northern Tibet during Indo-Asian Collision, Geology, v. 30, p. 363-366.
2002 G. Dupont-Nivet, Z. Guo, R.F. Butler, A. Yin, and C. Jia, Paleomagnetism of Miocene rocks from the Maza Tagh in the central Tarim Basin: Evidence for local deformation or regional vertical-axis rotation, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 199, p. 473-482.
2003 M.K. Hall-Wallace, C.S. Walker, L.P. Kendall, C.J. Schaller, and R.F. Butler, Exploring The Dynamic Earth, GIS Investigations for the Earth Science, Brooks/Cole Publishing, pp. 118.