Robert R. Coats
Encyclopedia
Robert Roy Coats was born in Toronto, Canada, and grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa
and Seattle, Washington
. He graduated valedictorian
of his high school class in Seattle at the age of 16, and attended the University of Washington, where he received both a B.S. and M.S. degree in Geology and Mining (1931 and 1932). He continued graduate work at the University of California at Berkeley, receiving his doctorate in 1938, with a thesis on the ore bodies of the Virginia City mining district in Nevada. He was known as an eccentric and brilliant student.
In 1937, Coats took a teaching job at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. He left that job for a post with the U.S. Geological Survey in 1939, in Washington, D.C. As part of the Alaska Branch of the USGS, he continued working in Alaska, mapping in the Chichagof, Anikovik, Nome, Solomon, Kigluaik and Kobuk River areas, among others. During World War II
, he spent time in the Aleutian Islands, returning in 1946 as part of the Survey’s Volcano Project. His field work in the Aleutians led to his 1962 paper (see references) on the origin of the Aleutian island arc. That prescient synthesis of tectonics and magmatism of the Aleutian arc contained several of the essential ideas of the subsequent paradigm of plate tectonics
. He correctly interpreted:
Coats’s colleagues from the Alaska Branch of the USGS have commented on his extraordinary ability to comprehend the detailed geologic history of an area with only the most cursory examination. Visiting the Aleutian islands of Buldir, Adak
, Kanaga
, Semisophochnoi, Gareloi, Kiska
and Amchitka
(among others—see Figure 2), typically for 1–2 days in notoriously bad weather, he produced geologic reports of such detail, insight and quality that they remain today, even in the face of much additional work, the prime source for understanding Aleutian geology.
From 1951 to 1954, Coats was engaged in the search for radioactive granitic rocks, and in field studies of rhyolitic extrusive rocks. His field work took him to New England, and to all of the western states. In 1954, he began a long and productive period of work in Elko County, Nevada
, where he studied rhyolites, stratigraphy and structure, and mapped the geology of the Jarbidge, Owyee, Mountain City and Tuscarora 15’ quadrangles. He relocated to Menlo Park
in 1956, but spent most summers with his family in a field camp in Nevada. Many of his 70 publications were based on his work in this period, which culminated in his 1987 synthesis report on the Geology of Elko County, a complex area the size of Connecticut and Massachusetts together. The 1:250,000 scale map for the report has a total of 109 mapping units, with areas mapped as small as 10 ha.
Although most of his professional career was spent outside of academia, Coats enjoyed mentoring and teaching one-on-one. Many of his former field assistants and protégés have gone on to illustrious careers in universities and government service.
Coats was married for 58 years to Elizabeth Robinson Coats. He died peacefully at his home in Aptos, California, on January 12, 1995. He is survived by two sons (David of Minneapolis and Robert of Berkeley) and a daughter (Katherine Mrache, of Aptos, CA), and seven grandchildren.
Marshalltown, Iowa
Marshalltown is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, Iowa, United States. The population was 27,552 in the 2010 census, an increase from the 26,009 population in the 2000 census. -History:...
and Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. He graduated valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
of his high school class in Seattle at the age of 16, and attended the University of Washington, where he received both a B.S. and M.S. degree in Geology and Mining (1931 and 1932). He continued graduate work at the University of California at Berkeley, receiving his doctorate in 1938, with a thesis on the ore bodies of the Virginia City mining district in Nevada. He was known as an eccentric and brilliant student.
In 1937, Coats took a teaching job at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. He left that job for a post with the U.S. Geological Survey in 1939, in Washington, D.C. As part of the Alaska Branch of the USGS, he continued working in Alaska, mapping in the Chichagof, Anikovik, Nome, Solomon, Kigluaik and Kobuk River areas, among others. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he spent time in the Aleutian Islands, returning in 1946 as part of the Survey’s Volcano Project. His field work in the Aleutians led to his 1962 paper (see references) on the origin of the Aleutian island arc. That prescient synthesis of tectonics and magmatism of the Aleutian arc contained several of the essential ideas of the subsequent paradigm of plate tectonics
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...
. He correctly interpreted:
- that the origin of the dipping zone of seismicity beneath the Aleutian arc occurs along a megathrust above underthrusting oceanic crust and its sedimentary cover;
- the relation between the position of the active volcanoes and depth to the underthrust oceanic crust;
- the role of fluids derived from the down-going slab and magmatic differentiation in determining compositions of erupted volcanic rocks (See Figure 1).
Adak Island
Adak Island is an island near the western extent of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Alaska's southernmost town, Adak, is located on the island...
, Kanaga
Kanaga Island
Kanaga Island is a part of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. The island measures roughly 30 miles long and between 4 and 8 miles wide with an area of 142 sq mi , making it the 42nd largest island in the United States...
, Semisophochnoi, Gareloi, Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
and Amchitka
Amchitka
Amchitka is a volcanic, tectonically unstable island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska. It is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The island is about long, and from wide...
(among others—see Figure 2), typically for 1–2 days in notoriously bad weather, he produced geologic reports of such detail, insight and quality that they remain today, even in the face of much additional work, the prime source for understanding Aleutian geology.
From 1951 to 1954, Coats was engaged in the search for radioactive granitic rocks, and in field studies of rhyolitic extrusive rocks. His field work took him to New England, and to all of the western states. In 1954, he began a long and productive period of work in Elko County, Nevada
Elko County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 45,291 people, 15,638 households, and 11,493 families residing in the county. The population density was 3/sq mi . There were 18,456 housing units at an average density of 1/sq mi...
, where he studied rhyolites, stratigraphy and structure, and mapped the geology of the Jarbidge, Owyee, Mountain City and Tuscarora 15’ quadrangles. He relocated to Menlo Park
Menlo Park
Menlo Park may refer to:*Menlo Park, New Jersey, USA*Menlo Park, California, USA*Menlo Park, Pretoria, South Africa...
in 1956, but spent most summers with his family in a field camp in Nevada. Many of his 70 publications were based on his work in this period, which culminated in his 1987 synthesis report on the Geology of Elko County, a complex area the size of Connecticut and Massachusetts together. The 1:250,000 scale map for the report has a total of 109 mapping units, with areas mapped as small as 10 ha.
Although most of his professional career was spent outside of academia, Coats enjoyed mentoring and teaching one-on-one. Many of his former field assistants and protégés have gone on to illustrious careers in universities and government service.
Coats was married for 58 years to Elizabeth Robinson Coats. He died peacefully at his home in Aptos, California, on January 12, 1995. He is survived by two sons (David of Minneapolis and Robert of Berkeley) and a daughter (Katherine Mrache, of Aptos, CA), and seven grandchildren.