Charles R. Bacon is an American

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...

and

volcanologist A volcanologist, or volcano scientist, is a geologist who focuses on understanding the formation and eruptive activity of volcanoes. Volcanologists frequently visit volcanoes, sometimes active ones, to observe and monitor volcanic eruptions, col ...

at the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

in the

Volcano A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...

Hazards Team, and who is best known for his work on the volcanic history of

Crater Lake National Park Crater Lake National Park is an American national park located in southern Oregon. Established in 1902, Crater Lake is the fifth-oldest national park in the United States and the only national park in Oregon. The park encompasses the caldera of ...

and

Mount Mazama Mount Mazama (''Giiwas'' in the Native American language Klamath language, Klamath) is a complex volcano in the state of Oregon, United States, in a segment of the Cascade Volcanoes, Cascade Volcanic Arc and Cascade Range. Most of the mountai ...

Biography

Bacon grew up in

Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...

; the son of

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

mathematics professor Harold M. Bacon, and his wife and Stanford alumna Rosamond.

Career

Bacon earned his BS in Geology at

in 1970 and his Ph.D. in Geology from

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

in 1975, under the supervision of Ian S.E. Carmichael. After finishing his doctoral thesis, Bacon took up employment with the

, initially working on the geothermally-active

Coso Volcanic Field The Coso Volcanic Field is located in Inyo County, California, at the western edge of the Basin and Range geologic province and northern region of the Mojave Desert. The Fossil Falls are part of the Coso Field, created by the prehistoric Owens ...

.> His research spanned physical

volcanology Volcanology (also spelled vulcanology) is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena (volcanism). The term ''volcanology'' is derived from the Latin word ''vulcan''. Vulcan was the anci ...

petrology Petrology () is the branch of geology that studies rocks and the conditions under which they form. Petrology has three subdivisions: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology. Igneous and metamorphic petrology are commonly taught together ...

geochemistry Geochemistry is the science that uses the tools and principles of chemistry to explain the mechanisms behind major geological systems such as the Earth's crust and its oceans. The realm of geochemistry extends beyond the Earth, encompassing the e ...

, and the eruptive histories of

calderas A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcano eruption. When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time, structural support for the rock above the magma chamber is ...

, notably Crater Lake, Oregon, and Veniaminof and Aniakchak calderas,

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

Peninsula. Bacon's main contributions to volcanology over many years have been his sustained studies of the volcanic history of Crater Lake and

Cynthia Dusel-Bacon

He married Cynthia Dusel, a

metamorphic Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, causin ...

petrologist and field geologist with the Alaska Division of the United States Geological Survey. In August 1997, Dusel-Bacon was mauled by a black bear, while working in the field in Alaska. She lost both arms in the accident, but managed to radio for help and was rescued. Since that time she continued to work as a field geologist, with her husband as "sample collector and bear protector".

Awards

*1987 - L.R. Wager Medal, Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) *1999 - N.L. Bowen Award,

American Geophysical Union The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, atmospheric, ocean, hydrologic, space, and planetary scientists and enthusiasts that according to their website includes 130,000 people (not members). AGU's act ...

*2003 - Crater Lake Institute Centennial Award for Excellence in Research at Crater Lake National Park *2004 -

U.S. Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...

Meritorious Service Award

Publications

* ''"Geologic map of the Coso volcanic field and adjacent areas,

Inyo County, California Inyo County () is a county in the eastern central part of the U.S. state of California, located between the Sierra Nevada and the state of Nevada. In the 2020 census, the population was 19,016. The county seat is Independence. Inyo County is ...

"'' with Wendell A. Duffield. USGS Miscellaneous Investigations Map I-1200 (1981) * ''" Geothermal investigations in the

Coso Range The Coso Range of eastern California is located immediately south of Owens Lake, east of the Sierra Nevada, and west of the Argus Range. The southern part of the range lies in the restricted Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake and the northern pa ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

"'' with Wendall A. Duffield. Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 85, no. 5, pages 2379-2516, May 10, 1980 * ''"Pliocene volcanic rocks of the

"'' with Steven W. Novak
USGS professional paper no. 1383
(1986)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bacon, Charles R. American volcanologists Living people United States Geological Survey personnel Stanford University School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences alumni UC Berkeley College of Letters and Science alumni Year of birth missing (living people)