The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences.

History

The society was founded in

Ithaca, New York Ithaca is a city in the Finger Lakes region of New York (state), New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is the seat of Tompkins County, New York, Tompkins County and the largest community in the Ithaca m ...

, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchcock, John R. Procter and Edward Orton and has been headquartered at 3300 Penrose Place, Boulder, Colorado, US, since 1967. GSA began with 100 members under its first president, James Hall. In 1889 Mary Emilie Holmes became its first female member. It grew slowly but steadily to 600 members until 1931, when a nearly $4 million endowment from 1930 president

R. A. F. Penrose Jr. Richard Alexander Fullerton Penrose Jr. (December 17, 1863 – July 31, 1931), better known throughout his career as R. A. F. Penrose Jr., was an American mining geologist and entrepreneur. He was from a prominent Philadelphia family of Cor ...

jumpstarted GSA's growth. As of December 2017, GSA had more than 25,000 members in over 100 countries. The society has six regional sections in North America, three interdisciplinary interest groups, and eighteen specialty divisions.

Activities

The stated mission of GSA is "to advance geoscience research and discovery, service to society, stewardship of Earth, and the geosciences profession". Its main activities are sponsoring scientific meetings and publishing

scientific literature : ''For a broader class of literature, see Academic publishing.'' Scientific literature comprises scholarly publications that report original empirical and theoretical work in the natural and social sciences. Within an academic field, sci ...

, particularly the

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer revie ...

journals '' Geological Society of America Bulletin'', published continuously since 1889, and ''

Geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...

'', published since 1973. In 2005, GSA introduced its online-only journal ''Geosphere'', and in February 2009, GSA began publishing ''Lithosphere'' (both also peer-reviewed). ''Geosphere'' and ''Lithosphere'' are open access as of 2018. GSA's monthly news and science magazine, ''GSA Today'', is also open access online. GSA also publishes three book series: ''Special Papers'', ''Memoirs'', and ''Field Guides''. A third major activity is awarding research grants to

graduate student Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and st ...

Position statements

GSA issues Position Statements "in support of and consistent with the GSA's Vision and Mission to develop consensus on significant professional, technical, and societal issues of relevance to the geosciences community. Position Statements, developed and adopted through a well-defined process, provide the basis for statements made on behalf of the GSA before government bodies and agencies and communicated to the media and the general public." For example, in 2006, the GSA adopted a Position Statement on ''Global Climate Change'': :The Geological Society of America (GSA) supports the scientific conclusions that Earth’s climate is changing; the climate changes are due in part to human activities; and the probable consequences of the climate changes will be significant and blind to geopolitical boundaries. Furthermore, the potential implications of global climate change and the time scale over which such changes will likely occur require active, effective, long-term planning. :Current predictions of the consequences of global climate change include: (1)

rising sea level Globally, sea levels are rising due to human-caused climate change. Between 1901 and 2018, the globally averaged sea level rose by , or 1–2 mm per year on average.IPCC, 2019Summary for Policymakers InIPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cry ...

, (2) significant alteration of global and regional climatic patterns with an impact on water availability, (3) fundamental changes in global temperature distribution, (4) melting of polar ice, and (5) major changes in the distribution of plant and animal species. While the precise magnitude and rate of climate change cannot be predicted with absolute certainty, significant change will affect the planet and stress its inhabitants.

Past presidents

Past presidents of the Geological Society of America: * James Hall, 1889 * James Dwight Dana, 1890 * Alexander Winchell, 1891 * Grove Karl "G.K." Gilbert, 1892 * J. William Dawson, 1893 *

Thomas C. Chamberlin Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin (; September 25, 1843 – November 15, 1928) was an American geologist and educator. In 1893 he founded the ''Journal of Geology'', of which he was editor for many years. Biography Chamberlin was born September 25, 184 ...

, 1894 * Nathanial S. Shaler, 1895 * Joseph Le Conte, 1896 *

Edward Orton, Sr. Edward Francis Baxter Orton Sr. (March 9, 1829 – October 16, 1899) was a United States geologist, and the first president of The Ohio State University. Biography Orton came from New York State, born in the town of Deposit in Delaware County a ...

, 1897 * J.J. Stevenson, 1898 * Benjamin K. Emerson, 1899 * George Mercer Dawson, 1900 * Charles D. Walcott, 1901 * N.H. Winchell, 1902 * Samuel F. Emmons, 1903 *

John Casper Branner John Casper Branner (July 4, 1850 – March 1, 1922)Memorial Res ...

, 1904 * Raphael Pumpelly, 1905 *

Israel Cook Russell Israel Cook Russell, LL.D. (December 10, 1852 – May 1, 1906) was an American geologist and geographer who explored Alaska in the late 19th century. Early life and education Russell was born at Garrattsville, New York, on December 10, 1852. ...

, 1906 * C.R. Van Hise, 1907 * Samuel Calvin, 1908 *

G.K. Gilbert Grove Karl Gilbert (May 6, 1843 – May 1, 1918), known by the abbreviated name G. K. Gilbert in academic literature, was an American geologist. Biography Gilbert was born in Rochester, New York and graduated from the University of Rochester. D ...

(2nd term), 1909 * Arnold Hague, 1910 * William M. Davis, 1911 * H.L. Fairchild, 1912 * Eugene A. Smith, 1913 * George F. Becker, 1914 *

Arthur P. Coleman Arthur Philemon Coleman (April 4, 1852 – February 26, 1939) was a Canadian geologist and academic. Biography Born in Lachute, Quebec, the son of Rev. Francis Coleman and Emmeline Maria Adams, he received his Bachelor of Arts in 1876 and Maste ...

, 1915 *

John M. Clarke John Montague Clarke (October 1854 – May 25, 1936) was a lumber merchant, contractor and political figure on Prince Edward Island. He represented 5th Kings in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1904 to 1908 as a Liberal. ...

, 1916 *

Frank D. Adams Frank Dawson Adams (September 17, 1859 – December 26, 1942) was a Canadian geologist. Early life and education Frank Dawson Adams was born into a prosperous, middle-class family in Montreal, Quebec. Adams attended the High School of Montr ...

, 1917 * Whitman Cross, 1918 * J.C. Merriam, 1919 * Israel C. White, 1920 * James F. Kemp, 1921 * Charles Schuchert, 1922 * David White, 1923 * Waldemar Lindgren, 1924 * William B. Scott, 1925 * Andrew Cowper Lawson, 1926 * Arthur Keith, 1927 * Bailey Willis, 1928 * Heinrich Ries, 1929 * R.A.F. Penrose Jr., 1930 *

Alfred C. Lane Alfred Church Lane (January 29, 1863 – April 15, 1948) was an American geologist and teacher. Born in Boston, Alfred C. Lane was educated at Harvard University and received his A.B. degree in 1883. Between 1883 and 1885 he taught mathematics at ...

, 1931 * Reginald Aldworth Daly, 1932 * C.K. Leith, 1933 * W.H. Collins, 1934 *Nevin M. Fenneman, 1935 * W.C. Mendenhall, 1936 *

Charles Palache Charles Palache (July 18, 1869 – December 5, 1954) was an American mineralogist and crystallographer. In his time, he was one of the most important mineralogists in the United States. Background Charles Palache came from the Pallache family ...

, 1937 *

Arthur Louis Day Arthur Louis Day (October 30, 1869 – March 2, 1960) was an American geophysicist and volcanologist. He studied high temperature thermometry, seismology and geothermal energy. Early life Day was born in Brookfield, Massachusetts and re ...

, 1938 * T. Wayland Vaughan, 1939 * Eliot Blackwelder, 1940 *Charles P. Berkey, 1941 * Douglas W. Johnson, 1942 *E.L. Bruce, 1943 * Adolph Knopf, 1944 * Edward W. Berry, 1945 *

Norman L. Bowen Norman Levi Bowen FRS (June 21, 1887 – September 11, 1956) was a Canadian geologist. Bowen "revolutionized experimental petrology and our understanding of mineral crystallization". Beginning geology students are familiar with Bowen's reaction s ...

, 1946 * A.I. Levorsen, 1947 *

James Gilluly James Gilluly (June 24, 1896 – December 29, 1980) was an American geologist. Regarding the Cupriferous Porphyry Genesis, Gilluly integrated detailed observations of the Ajo porphyry between 1936 and 1936 with experimental data (Goranson, 1931, ...

, 1948 *

Chester Ray Longwell Chester Ray Longwell (15 October 1887 – 15 December 1975) was an American geologist who conducted extensive research into the geology of the Basin and Range province in Nevada. His fieldwork led to a more complete understanding of Paleozoic and ...

, 1949 * William Walden Rubey, 1950 *Chester Stock, 1951 *Thomas S. Lovering, 1952 *Wendell P. Woodring, 1953 *Ernst Cloos, 1954 *

Walter H. Bucher Walter Hermann Bucher (March 12, 1888 – February 17, 1965) was a German-American geologist and paleontologist. He was born in Akron, Ohio, to Swiss-German parents. The family then returned to Germany, where he was raised. In 1911 he was ...

, 1955 * George S. Hume, 1956 *Richard J. Russell, 1957 * Raymond Cecil Moore, 1958 * Marland P. Billings, 1959 *

Hollis Dow Hedberg Hollis Dow Hedberg (May 29, 1903 – August 14, 1988; nickname: "El Doctor Hedberg") was an American geologist specializing in petroleum exploration. His contribution to stratigraphic classification of rocks and procedures is a monumental work whi ...

, 1960 *

Thomas B. Nolan Thomas Brennan Nolan (May 21, 1901 – August 2, 1992) was an American geologist who was director of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from 1956 to 1965. The mineral nolanite is named in his honor and he was an elected member of th ...

, 1961 *

M. King Hubbert Marion King Hubbert (October 5, 1903 – October 11, 1989) was an American geologist and geophysicist. He worked at the Shell research lab in Houston, Texas. He made several important contributions to geology, geophysics, and petroleum geolog ...

1962 *

Harry H. Hess Harry Hammond Hess (May 24, 1906 – August 25, 1969) was an American geologist and a United States Navy officer in World War II who is considered one of the "founding fathers" of the unifying theory of plate tectonics. He is best known for his th ...

1963 * Francis Birch 1964 * Wilmot H. Bradley 1965 * Robert Ferguson Legget 1966 * Konrad B. Krauskopf 1967 *Ian Campbell, 1968 *Morgan J. Davis, 1969 * John Rodgers, 1970 *Richard H. Jahns, 1971 * Luna Leopold, 1972 *John C. Maxwell, 1973 * Clarence R. Allen, 1974 *Julian R. Goldsmith, 1975 *

Robert E. Folinsbee Robert Edward Folinsbee (April 16, 1917 – May 1, 2008) was a Canadian geologist, whose work involved geochronology, ore deposits, and meteorites. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1938 from the Univer ...

, 1976 * Charles L. Drake, 1977 * Peter T. Flawn, 1978 * Leon T. Silver, 1979 * Laurence L. Sloss, 1980 *Howard R. Gould, 1981 * Digby J. McLaren, 1982 *Paul A. Bailly, 1983 *

M. Gordon Wolman Markley Gordon Wolman (August 16, 1924 – February 24, 2010) was an American geographer, son of Abel Wolman. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He attended Haverford College before being drafted into the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the wa ...

, 1984 *Brian J. Skinner, 1985 *

W. Gary Ernst W. Gary Ernst (born December 14, 1931) is an American geologist specializing in petrology and geochemistry. He currently is the Benjamin M. Page Professor Emeritus in Stanford University's Department of Geological Sciences. Ernst was born in S ...

, 1986 *

Jack E. Oliver John "Jack" Ertle Oliver (September 26, 1923 – January 5, 2011) was an American scientist. Oliver, who earned his PhD at Columbia University in 1953, studied earthquakes and ultimately provided seismic evidence supporting plate tectonics. I ...

, 1987 *

Albert W. Bally Albert Walter Bally (April 21, 1925 – July 30, 2019) was an American geologist, previously the Harry Carothers Wiess Professor of Emeritus at Rice University. He died in July 2019. Career Bally started his career at Shell Oil Company, retiring ...

, 1988 * Randolph Bromery, 1989 * Raymond A. Price, 1990 *

Doris Malkin Curtis Doris Malkin Curtis (January 12, 1914 – May 26, 1991) was an American paleontologist, stratigrapher, and geologist. She became the first woman president of the Geological Society of America (1991) and made meaningful contributions towards Scripps ...

, 1991 *

E-An Zen Dr. E-An Zen (任以安) was born in Peking, China, May 31, 1928, and came to the U.S. in 1946. He became a citizen in 1963. Since 1990 he was adjunct professor at the University of Maryland. He died on March 29, 2014, at the age of 85. He has co ...

, 1992 *Robert D. Hatcher, 1993 * William R. Dickinson, 1994 *David A. Stephenson, 1995 *

Eldridge M. Moores Eldridge Moores (October 13, 1938 – October 28, 2018) was an American geologist. He specialized in the understanding of ophiolites (fragments of oceanic crust and mantle that have been emplaced onto the continental crust) and the geology of the ...

, 1996 * George A. Thompson, 1997 *Victor R. Baker, 1998 * Gail M. Ashley, 1999 * Mary Lou Zoback, 2000 * Sharon Mosher, 2001 * Anthony J. Naldrett, 2002 *

B. Clark Burchfiel Burrell Clark Burchfiel (born March 21, 1934) is an American structural geologist. Born in Stockton, California, he earned his Ph.D. in 1961 at Yale University. His first academic appointment was to the Geology department at Rice University. He is ...

, 2003 *Rob Van der Voo, 2004 *William A. Thomas, 2005 *Stephen G. Wells, 2006 * John M. "Jack" Sharp, Jr., 2007 *Judith Totman Parrish, 2008 *Jean M. Bahr, 2009 *Joaquin Ruiz, 2010 *John Geissman, 2011 *George H. Davis, 2012 *

Suzanne Mahlburg Kay Suzanne Mahlburg Kay (née Mahlburg) is the William & Katherine Snee Professor of Geological Sciences at Cornell University. She studies the origin and evolution of the continental crust. She is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, the ...

, 2013 *Harry "Hap" McSween, 2014 *Jonathan G. Price, 2015 * Claudia I. Mora, 2016 *

Isabel P. Montañez Isabel Patricia Montañez is a paleoclimatologist specializing in geochemical records of ancient climate change. She is a Distinguished Professor and a Chancellor's Leadership Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Univers ...

, 2017 * Robbie Gries, 2018 * Donald I. Siegel, 2019 *J. Douglas Walker, 2020 * Barbara Dutrow, 2021

References

External links