Berkeley Geochronology Center
Encyclopedia
The Berkeley Geochronology Center (BGC) is a non-profit geochronology
research institute
in Berkeley, California
. It was originally a research group in the laboratory of University of California Berkeley geophysicist
and geochronologist
Garniss Curtis
, now professor emeritus
. The group is now an independent scientific research institute directed by the geologist and geochronologist Paul Renne
, adjunct professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Berkeley.
In 1985, Curtis, set to retire in 1989, moved the group from his lab at the University to the basement of the independent Institute for Human Origins
(IHO), at the suggestion of American anthropologist
F. Clark Howell
. The geochronologists worked separately from the IHO, although IHO contained their bureaucratic infrastructure, until 1989 when they became officially known as the Institute for Human Origins Geochronology Center. In 1994 the group officially split from the IHO based on different viewpoints of their respective missions.
The Institute specializes in fundamental questions of the age of the earth, using state-of-the-art instrumentation to find the age of rocks that will answer questions about geology
and geobiology
in earth history. The institute is capable of performing gas extraction, and thermal ionization mass spectrometry
analysis on rocks up to billions of years old using the techniques of argon–argon dating and uranium-lead dating
. BGC also performs paleomagnetic
analysis to establish correlating or independent ages from the fossilized magnetic fields. The staff includes research scientists specializing in various geological periods and areas, in addition to postdoctoral scholars and graduate students. Scientists at BGC have also been active in dating extraterrestrial materials such as meteorites.
, were known to have egos that might "clash", but Howell thought that bringing the two research groups together could benefit both. The IHO's mission included publicizing the anthropology of ancient human ancestors to the general public, and the geochronology scientists felt the anthropologists emphasized this at the expense of more basic science, while the paleoanthropologist felt the geochronologists were devoting too much research time and funding to general geology questions not related to the institute's primary mission. The anthropologists had more public recognition in the press, while the geochronologists were obtaining more scientific grant moneys and publishing more scientific papers. The split was acrimonious and garnered negative publicity for some of those involved from their peers in professional organizations, particularly as Gordon Getty
, the single largest donor, and a board member of IHO, withdrew funding to the parent institute (IHO), while providing start-up moneys to the geochronology group.
Geochronology
Geochronology is the science of determining the age of rocks, fossils, and sediments, within a certain degree of uncertainty inherent to the method used. A variety of dating methods are used by geologists to achieve this, and schemes of classification and terminology have been proposed...
research institute
Research institute
A research institute is an establishment endowed for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research...
in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. It was originally a research group in the laboratory of University of California Berkeley geophysicist
Geophysics
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and...
and geochronologist
Geochronology
Geochronology is the science of determining the age of rocks, fossils, and sediments, within a certain degree of uncertainty inherent to the method used. A variety of dating methods are used by geologists to achieve this, and schemes of classification and terminology have been proposed...
Garniss Curtis
Garniss Curtis
Garniss H. Curtis is a professor emeritus of geology at the University of California, Berkeley, geochronologist, volcanologist, geophysicist, and founder of the Berkeley Geochronology Center...
, now professor emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
. The group is now an independent scientific research institute directed by the geologist and geochronologist Paul Renne
Paul Renne
Paul R. Renne is the director of the Berkeley Geochronology Center and also adjunct professor of geology in the Department of Earth & Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley...
, adjunct professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Berkeley.
In 1985, Curtis, set to retire in 1989, moved the group from his lab at the University to the basement of the independent Institute for Human Origins
Donald Johanson
Donald Carl Johanson is an American paleoanthropologist. Along with Maurice Taieb, and Yves Coppens he is known for the discovery of the skeleton of the female hominid australopithecine known as "Lucy", in the Afar Triangle region of Hadar, Ethiopia.-Early years:Johanson was born in Chicago,...
(IHO), at the suggestion of American anthropologist
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
F. Clark Howell
Francis Clark Howell
Francis Clark Howell, generally known as F. Clark Howell was an American anthropologist. He altered the landscape of his discipline irrevocably by adding a broad spectrum of modern sciences to the traditional "stones and bones" approach of the past and is considered the father of modern...
. The geochronologists worked separately from the IHO, although IHO contained their bureaucratic infrastructure, until 1989 when they became officially known as the Institute for Human Origins Geochronology Center. In 1994 the group officially split from the IHO based on different viewpoints of their respective missions.
The Institute specializes in fundamental questions of the age of the earth, using state-of-the-art instrumentation to find the age of rocks that will answer questions about geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
and geobiology
Geobiology
Broadly defined, geobiology is an interdisciplinary field of scientific research that explores interactions between the biosphere and the lithosphere and/or the atmosphere....
in earth history. The institute is capable of performing gas extraction, and thermal ionization mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of charged particles.It is used for determining masses of particles, for determining the elemental composition of a sample or molecule, and for elucidating the chemical structures of molecules, such as peptides and...
analysis on rocks up to billions of years old using the techniques of argon–argon dating and uranium-lead dating
Uranium-lead dating
Uranium-lead is one of the oldest and most refined of the radiometric dating schemes, with a routine age range of about 1 million years to over 4.5 billion years, and with routine precisions in the 0.1-1 percent range...
. BGC also performs paleomagnetic
Paleomagnetism
Paleomagnetism is the study of the record of the Earth's magnetic field in rocks. Certain minerals in rocks lock-in a record of the direction and intensity of the magnetic field when they form. This record provides information on the past behavior of Earth's magnetic field and the past location of...
analysis to establish correlating or independent ages from the fossilized magnetic fields. The staff includes research scientists specializing in various geological periods and areas, in addition to postdoctoral scholars and graduate students. Scientists at BGC have also been active in dating extraterrestrial materials such as meteorites.
Split from Institute for Human Origins
Both Curtis and IHO founder, Donald JohansonDonald Johanson
Donald Carl Johanson is an American paleoanthropologist. Along with Maurice Taieb, and Yves Coppens he is known for the discovery of the skeleton of the female hominid australopithecine known as "Lucy", in the Afar Triangle region of Hadar, Ethiopia.-Early years:Johanson was born in Chicago,...
, were known to have egos that might "clash", but Howell thought that bringing the two research groups together could benefit both. The IHO's mission included publicizing the anthropology of ancient human ancestors to the general public, and the geochronology scientists felt the anthropologists emphasized this at the expense of more basic science, while the paleoanthropologist felt the geochronologists were devoting too much research time and funding to general geology questions not related to the institute's primary mission. The anthropologists had more public recognition in the press, while the geochronologists were obtaining more scientific grant moneys and publishing more scientific papers. The split was acrimonious and garnered negative publicity for some of those involved from their peers in professional organizations, particularly as Gordon Getty
Gordon Getty
Gordon Peter Getty was born on December 20, 1934. He is the fourth child of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. His mother, Ann Rork, was his father's third wife. When his father died in 1976, Gordon assumed control of Getty's US$2 billion trust...
, the single largest donor, and a board member of IHO, withdrew funding to the parent institute (IHO), while providing start-up moneys to the geochronology group.