Jack Ertle Oliver
Encyclopedia
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 earthquake
s and ultimately provided seismic evidence supporting plate tectonics
. In the 1960s, Oliver and his former graduate student, Bryan Isacks, set up seismographic stations in the South Pacific
to record earthquake activity, and the data collected led to the insight that part of the ocean floor was being pushed downward.
, and was a member of the Massillon Washington High School
football team coached by future Pro Football Hall of Fame
coach Paul Brown
. He attended Columbia on a football scholarship, interrupted by his service with the United States navy
as a Seabee
in the South Pacific
during World War II
. After completing his military service, he returned to Columbia, earning his bachelor's degree in 1947. He then went on to earn a master's degree in physics there and, in 1953, a PhD. in geophysics at Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
.
Oliver's work on using seismic waves to detect nuclear explosions led to his being invited to serve as an advisor to the White House
on nuclear test-ban treaties in 1958 and 1959.
It was during Oliver's years at Columbia that he and his students Bryan Isacks and Lynn Sykes undertook the research leading to their 1968 paper, “Seismology and the New Global Tectonics,” which provided strong evidence for the acceptance of plate tectonics. The paper was based on the findings of earthquakes hundreds of miles under the Pacific Ocean
found using a network of seismic detectors that Oliver and his team had placed on Fiji
and Tonga
. The research by Oliver's team led them to conclude that the collision of tectonic plates was forcing material deep into the earth where they met below the Pacific Ocean, and provided strong evidence of the existence of continental drift, a theory that had been largely scoffed at by the scientific community when it was first proposed by Alfred Wegener
in 1912. The order of the three coauthors' names on that paper (Isacks, Oliver, Sykes) was decided by lot, according to a footnote on the paper. This odd choice provoked speculation, but Oliver explained that decision was made before writing the paper, as all three authors worked full speed in what they saw as a race against other researchers.
Oliver headed the Lamont seismology program for many years, and was chair of Columbia's Department of Geology from 1969 - 1971.
, where he became chair of the geophysics department. Oliver was eager to use reflection seismology
techniques to probe the deep structure of continents, but many were skeptical of this approach because at that time refraction profiling
was the standard way to examine crustal structures.
With Cornell colleague Sidney Kaufman, Oliver co-founded the first national program using reflection seismology to explore Earth's continental crust. The Consortium for Continental Reflection Profiling (COCORP) was initially funded by a small grant from the NSF
. It has been used to map geological faults in many parts of the US, and has served as a model for seismic exploration projects in more than 20 other countries.
In addition to his scientific work, Oliver enjoyed creating limericks, such as this one from his 1996 book Shocks and Rocks:
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1953, studied earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s and ultimately provided seismic evidence supporting plate tectonics
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...
. In the 1960s, Oliver and his former graduate student, Bryan Isacks, set up seismographic stations in the South Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
to record earthquake activity, and the data collected led to the insight that part of the ocean floor was being pushed downward.
Early life and years at Columbia
Jack Oliver was born in Massillon, OhioMassillon, Ohio
Massillon is a city located in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio, approximately 8 miles to the west of Canton, Ohio, 20 miles south of Akron, Ohio, and 50 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio. The population was 32,149 at the 2010 census....
, and was a member of the Massillon Washington High School
Massillon Washington High School
Massillon Washington High School, is a 9 to 12 grade secondary school within the Massillon City School District located in the city of Massillon, Ohio. It serves students within the city of Massillon as well as parts of Tuscarawas Township...
football team coached by future Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
coach Paul Brown
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
. He attended Columbia on a football scholarship, interrupted by his service with the United States navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
as a Seabee
Seabee
Seabees are members of the United States Navy construction battalions. The word Seabee is a proper noun that comes from the initials of Construction Battalion, of the United States Navy...
in the South Pacific
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
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...
. After completing his military service, he returned to Columbia, earning his bachelor's degree in 1947. He then went on to earn a master's degree in physics there and, in 1953, a PhD. in geophysics at Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
The Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory is a research unit of Columbia University located on a campus in Palisades, N.Y., north of Manhattan on the Hudson River.- History :...
.
Oliver's work on using seismic waves to detect nuclear explosions led to his being invited to serve as an advisor to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
on nuclear test-ban treaties in 1958 and 1959.
It was during Oliver's years at Columbia that he and his students Bryan Isacks and Lynn Sykes undertook the research leading to their 1968 paper, “Seismology and the New Global Tectonics,” which provided strong evidence for the acceptance of plate tectonics. The paper was based on the findings of earthquakes hundreds of miles under the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
found using a network of seismic detectors that Oliver and his team had placed on Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
and Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
. The research by Oliver's team led them to conclude that the collision of tectonic plates was forcing material deep into the earth where they met below the Pacific Ocean, and provided strong evidence of the existence of continental drift, a theory that had been largely scoffed at by the scientific community when it was first proposed by Alfred Wegener
Alfred Wegener
Alfred Lothar Wegener was a German scientist, geophysicist, and meteorologist.He is most notable for his theory of continental drift , proposed in 1912, which hypothesized that the continents were slowly drifting around the Earth...
in 1912. The order of the three coauthors' names on that paper (Isacks, Oliver, Sykes) was decided by lot, according to a footnote on the paper. This odd choice provoked speculation, but Oliver explained that decision was made before writing the paper, as all three authors worked full speed in what they saw as a race against other researchers.
Oliver headed the Lamont seismology program for many years, and was chair of Columbia's Department of Geology from 1969 - 1971.
Years at Cornell
In 1971, Oliver went to Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, where he became chair of the geophysics department. Oliver was eager to use reflection seismology
Reflection seismology
Reflection seismology is a method of exploration geophysics that uses the principles of seismology to estimate the properties of the Earth's subsurface from reflected seismic waves. The method requires a controlled seismic source of energy, such as dynamite/Tovex, a specialized air gun or a...
techniques to probe the deep structure of continents, but many were skeptical of this approach because at that time refraction profiling
Seismic refraction
Seismic refraction is a geophysical principle governed by Snell's Law. Used in the fields of engineering geology, geotechnical engineering and exploration geophysics, seismic refraction traverses are performed using a seismograph and/or geophone, in an array and an energy source...
was the standard way to examine crustal structures.
With Cornell colleague Sidney Kaufman, Oliver co-founded the first national program using reflection seismology to explore Earth's continental crust. The Consortium for Continental Reflection Profiling (COCORP) was initially funded by a small grant from the NSF
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
. It has been used to map geological faults in many parts of the US, and has served as a model for seismic exploration projects in more than 20 other countries.
Personal life
Oliver met his wife Gay van der Hoeven on a hike near New York City, and they were married in 1964. The couple raised two daughters, Nell and Amy.In addition to his scientific work, Oliver enjoyed creating limericks, such as this one from his 1996 book Shocks and Rocks:
- The plates in dynamic mosaic
- Through history both fresh and archaic
- Like bold engineers
- For some two billion years
- Have kept Earth from becoming prosaic.