Barclay Kamb
Encyclopedia
Walter Barclay Kamb was a long time professor and researcher at the California Institute of Technology
(Caltech). Professor Kamb was one of the first scientists to journey to the Antarctic to study how the glacier sheets move and operate. He is listed as a member of the National Academy of Sciences in the Geology department.
His death has been reported on 22 of April 2011.
. "His best student," said Pauling. He became the assistant professor of Geology
, from 1956–1960, shortly after receiving his Ph.D. In the next two years he worked as an associate professor, and then became a professor from 1962-1963. Kamb concentrated in being a professor of Geology and Geophysics
for the next 27 years from 1963-1990 at Caltech. He became Barbara and Stanley R. Rawn Professor from the years 1990-1999, and then on has remained Rawn Professor Emeritus. Professor Kamb was elected chairman in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences from 1972–83, and for a short period, from 1987–89, took charge as Vice President and Provost of the Institute.
Barclay Kamb was a professor Emeritus.
Kamb applied for admission to Caltech at age 15. Caltech has a policy against early admission, so Kamb attended Pasadena City College
. This so embarrassed Caltech that it admitted Kamb the following year. The Institute never regretted that exception. Later, following completion of his PhD, Kamb was offered the rare opportunity to join the Caltech faculty by Robert Sharp. These were merely the start of Kamb's exceptionalism.
Professor Kamb concentrated on studying structures produced by rock flow and fracture in the earth. Years later, Kamb turned his attention to studying the mechanics of glacier flow, with an emphasis on basal sliding, surging, and streaming flow in the Antarctic ice sheet. Professor Kamb focused his explorations on the flow of streams in Antarctic glacier ice sheets. His research led to very important discoveries about ice sheets in the 1990s and early 2000s. These ice sheets contained ice streams, which were streams that flowed inside of the sheets with speeds 100 times greater than the movement of the normal ice sheet motion. Kamb reported that if these sheets were to increase in speed and become larger, it could potentially cause a collapse in the ice sheets.
To further his knowledge of these ice streams, he devised a till
to lubricate the glacier to make the flow of the ice streams more like a landslide than of normal glaciers. Even though the till helped, there were complications that had to be fixed. In spite of the obstacles, Kamb managed to successfully develop a new ice coring drill that provides samples needed to solve these complications. In order to study these ice streams, Kamb and a team of 13 to 14 people made expeditions to the Antarctic from October, 2002, to January, 2003. They installed video cameras and equipment to allow for remote data analyzes, so teams would not have to venture out so often.
Barclay Kamb and Hermann Engelhardt, both researchers at Caltech who led the teams, were honored by the American Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names
(ACAN) with the renaming of an ice stream and ice ridge into Kamb Ice Stream and Engelhardt Ice Ridge
, respectively. This was an immense accomplishment considering that these ice structures were the first to be studied and named.
In 1977 Barclay Kamb was awarded the Seligman Crystal
by the International Glaciological Society
. The Crystal is considered to be one of the highest awards in glaciology.
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
(Caltech). Professor Kamb was one of the first scientists to journey to the Antarctic to study how the glacier sheets move and operate. He is listed as a member of the National Academy of Sciences in the Geology department.
His death has been reported on 22 of April 2011.
Career
In 1952, he received his Bachelor’s degree at Caltech and in 1956 received his Ph.D. at Caltech under Linus PaulingLinus Pauling
Linus Carl Pauling was an American chemist, biochemist, peace activist, author, and educator. He was one of the most influential chemists in history and ranks among the most important scientists of the 20th century...
. "His best student," said Pauling. He became the assistant professor of 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...
, from 1956–1960, shortly after receiving his Ph.D. In the next two years he worked as an associate professor, and then became a professor from 1962-1963. Kamb concentrated in being a professor of Geology and Geophysics
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...
for the next 27 years from 1963-1990 at Caltech. He became Barbara and Stanley R. Rawn Professor from the years 1990-1999, and then on has remained Rawn Professor Emeritus. Professor Kamb was elected chairman in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences from 1972–83, and for a short period, from 1987–89, took charge as Vice President and Provost of the Institute.
Barclay Kamb was a professor Emeritus.
Personal
Barclay Kamb was born on December 17, 1931 in San Jose, California. He died at his home in Pasadena on April 21, 2011. He was married to Linda Pauling Kamb and has four sons and nine grandchildren.Kamb applied for admission to Caltech at age 15. Caltech has a policy against early admission, so Kamb attended Pasadena City College
Pasadena City College
Pasadena City College is a community college in Pasadena, California, USA, located on Colorado Boulevard. PCC is the third largest community college campus in the United States. PCC was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. In 1954, Pasadena Junior College merged with another junior...
. This so embarrassed Caltech that it admitted Kamb the following year. The Institute never regretted that exception. Later, following completion of his PhD, Kamb was offered the rare opportunity to join the Caltech faculty by Robert Sharp. These were merely the start of Kamb's exceptionalism.
Research
Early in his career, Kamb studied the determination of the atomic structure of minerals, and how they related to different structures of ice. For his work in the field of minerals, Barclay Kamb was awarded the Mineralogical Society of America award.Professor Kamb concentrated on studying structures produced by rock flow and fracture in the earth. Years later, Kamb turned his attention to studying the mechanics of glacier flow, with an emphasis on basal sliding, surging, and streaming flow in the Antarctic ice sheet. Professor Kamb focused his explorations on the flow of streams in Antarctic glacier ice sheets. His research led to very important discoveries about ice sheets in the 1990s and early 2000s. These ice sheets contained ice streams, which were streams that flowed inside of the sheets with speeds 100 times greater than the movement of the normal ice sheet motion. Kamb reported that if these sheets were to increase in speed and become larger, it could potentially cause a collapse in the ice sheets.
To further his knowledge of these ice streams, he devised a till
Till
thumb|right|Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material , and this characteristic, known as matrix support, is diagnostic of till....
to lubricate the glacier to make the flow of the ice streams more like a landslide than of normal glaciers. Even though the till helped, there were complications that had to be fixed. In spite of the obstacles, Kamb managed to successfully develop a new ice coring drill that provides samples needed to solve these complications. In order to study these ice streams, Kamb and a team of 13 to 14 people made expeditions to the Antarctic from October, 2002, to January, 2003. They installed video cameras and equipment to allow for remote data analyzes, so teams would not have to venture out so often.
Barclay Kamb and Hermann Engelhardt, both researchers at Caltech who led the teams, were honored by the American Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names
Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names
The Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names is an advisory committee of the United States Board on Geographic Names responsible for recommending names for features in Antarctica...
(ACAN) with the renaming of an ice stream and ice ridge into Kamb Ice Stream and Engelhardt Ice Ridge
Engelhardt Ice Ridge
Engelhardt Ice Ridge is an ice ridge between Whillans Ice Stream and Kamb Ice Stream near the junction of Gould Coast and Siple Coast in Marie Byrd Land...
, respectively. This was an immense accomplishment considering that these ice structures were the first to be studied and named.
In 1977 Barclay Kamb was awarded the Seligman Crystal
Seligman Crystal
The Seligman Crystal is an award of the International Glaciological Society.The prize is "awarded from time to time to one who has made an outstanding scientific contribution to glaciology so that the subject is now enriched"- Recipients :...
by the International Glaciological Society
International Glaciological Society
The International Glaciological Society was founded in 1936 to provide a focus for individuals interested in glaciology, practical and scientific aspects of snow and ice. It was originally known as the 'Association for the Study of Snow and Ice'. The name was changed to the 'British Glaciological...
. The Crystal is considered to be one of the highest awards in glaciology.