earth science

Judith Totman Parrish

Judith Totman Parrish is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Judith Totman Parrish rather than just read about it. In short: Judith (Judy) Totman Parrish is an American geologist and paleoclimatologist known for her research on deep-time paleoclimate, sedimentary geology, and paleoceanography. She is Professor Emerita in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Idaho and a former President of the Geological Society of America (GSA).

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Judith (Judy) Totman Parrish is an American geologist and paleoclimatologist known for her research on deep-time paleoclimate, sedimentary geology, and paleoceanography. She is Professor Emerita in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Idaho and a former President of the Geological Society of America (GSA). Her work focuses on the scientific understanding of ancient climate systems, particularly during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras, with a focus on global climate modeling, sedimentology of ancient ocean upwelling systems, Cretaceous polar climate, and the climate of the supercontinent Pangea.

Biography Parrish was born in September 1950 in California to Bob and Dru Totman. She completed all of her higher education at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She received a B.A. in Biology in 1972, writing a thesis on female-female interactions among northern elephant seals. She earned an M.A. in Biology in 1976 with a thesis on the movements of the northern elephant seal along the North American coast. In 1977, she was awarded an M.S. in Earth Sciences by examination and completed her Ph.D. in Earth Sciences in 1979 with a dissertation titled "Problems in the Biogeography of Recent and Fossil Benthic Marine Invertebrates." She later undertook leadership training through the University of Arizona Leadership Institute between 2000 and 2003.

Career Her early career included positions as a research associate at the University of Chicago in the Geophysical Sciences Department from 1978 to 1981, followed by a consulting role for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 1981. She then worked as a research geologist at the USGS in Denver, Colorado, from 1982 to 1988. During this time, she led projects on the carbon cycle, petroleum resources, high-latitude Cretaceous climates, and paleo-upwelling. She also participated in studies related to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, North Slope basin analysis, and oil and gas resource classification. In 1988, Parrish joined the University of Arizona as an associate professor with tenure in the Department of Geosciences. She was promoted to full professor in 1992 and remained in that role until 2004. During her time at Arizona, she was Associate Dean of the College of Science from 2000 to 2003, Interim Head of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences in 2001, and Director of the Geosciences Summer Field Camp from 1995 to 1997. She was also a visiting scholar in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at Stanford University in 1994. In 2003, Parrish became Dean of the College of Science at the University of Idaho and a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences. She served as dean until 2007 and continued as professor until 2011, when she retired and was named Professor Emerita. She served as President of the Geological Society of America from 2008 to 2009 and as interim Executive Director of both the GSA in 2015 and the STEPPE program from 2013 to 2014. From 2021 to 2025, she served as President of the SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology) Foundation.

Awards and honors Laurence L. Sloss Award, Sedimentary Geology Division, Geological Society of America (GSA) (2022) GSA Distinguished Service Award (2018) Earth and Space Sciences Alumni Hall of Fame, University of California, Santa Cruz (2018) NASA/Space Grant Mentor (1999–2000) Fellow, Geological Society of America (elected 1994)

Selected publications

Books and edited volumes Wang, Chengshan (2013). Graham, S. A; Parrish, J. T; Wan, X. (eds.). "Environmental/climate change in the Cretaceous greenhouse world: Records from Terrestrial scientific drilling of Songliao Basin and adjacent areas of China". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 385: 1–5. Bibcode:2013PPP...385....1W. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.05.006. ISSN 0031-0182. Parrish, JudithTotman (2004). "Paleoecology, Paleogeography, and Paleoclimatology: A Tribute to A. M. Ziegler on his Retirement". The Journal of Geology. 112 (6): 623–624. Bibcode:2004JG....112..623P. doi:10.1086/424865. ISSN 0022-1376. Parrish, Judith Totman (1998). Interpreting pre-Quaternary climate from the geologic record. The Perspectives in paleobiology and earth history series. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-10206-3. Parrish, Judith Totman; Barron, Eric J. (1986). Paleoclimates and Economic Geology. SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology). doi:10.2110/scn.86.18. ISBN 978-1-56576-247-3.

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Judith Totman Parrish

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Judith Totman Parrish claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Judith Totman Parrish before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Judith Totman Parrish ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Judith Totman Parrish

In research: Judith Totman Parrish appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Judith Totman Parrish in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Judith Totman Parrish is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 20th-century American scientists, 21st-century American women scientists, American geologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Judith Totman Parrish outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Judith Totman Parrish in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Judith Totman Parrish means in your own words.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Judith Totman Parrish in simple terms?

Why does Judith Totman Parrish matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Judith Totman Parrish?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Judith Totman Parrish.