astronomy

Neil D. Opdyke

Neil D. Opdyke is a astronomy 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 Neil D. Opdyke rather than just read about it. In short: Neil D. Opdyke (February 7, 1933 – April 7, 2019) was an American geologist.

Key takeaways

Neil D. Opdyke belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Neil D. Opdyke to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Neil D. Opdyke from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Neil D. Opdyke (February 7, 1933 – April 7, 2019) was an American geologist. He was the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, United States. He was previously with Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory of Columbia University, including a stint as Director. He was well known for his groundbreaking research in the 1950s on paleoclimate and continental drift, with Keith Runcorn, and later in Africa and Australia with Mike McElhinny and others. Back the U.S. in the mid-1960s he worked on the documentation of magnetic reversals in deep-sea sediments, which led to proof of the Vine–Matthews–Morley hypothesis the governing paradigm for marine magnetic anomalies. In 1969, Dr. Opdyke & Ken Henry used marine core data for a convincing test of the GAD hypothesis that is central to the use of paleomagnetism in continental reconstruction. Opdyke’s work with Nick Shackleton in 1973 marked the beginning of the integration of oxygen isotope stratigraphy and magnetostratigraphy that has led to current methods of tuning timescales. Neil pioneered magnetic stratigraphy in terrestrial (non-marine) sediments and produced some of the most impressive records, notably from Pakistan and southwestern United States. These studies led to a vastly improved time frame for vertebrate evolution and allowed the documentation of mammal migration.

Research interests Paleomagnetism and its application to tectonics and magnetostratigraphy. Paleoclimatology and paleogeography of the Phanerozoic.

Education B.A., Columbia University, 1955 D.Sc., University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1982 Ph.D., Durham University, England, 1958

Memberships and distinctions European Geosciences Union Petrus Peregrinus Medal 2008 for pioneering work in magnetic stratigraphy of marine and continental sediments and its contribution to our understanding of the history of the magnetic field and its geological applications. National Academy of Sciences, 1996 American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1998 Geological Society of America, fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow American Geophysical Union, Fellow American Geophysical Union John Adam Fleming Medal 1996

References

External links

Oral history interview transcript with Neil D. Opdyke on 17 March 1997, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives - Session I Oral history interview transcript with Neil D. Opdyke on 11 July 1997, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives - Session II

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Neil D. Opdyke

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Neil D. Opdyke claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, 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 Neil D. Opdyke 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 Neil D. Opdyke 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 Neil D. Opdyke

In research: Neil D. Opdyke appears in astronomy 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 Neil D. Opdyke 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: Neil D. Opdyke is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1933 births, 2019 deaths, Alumni of King's College, Newcastle, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Neil D. Opdyke 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.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Neil D. Opdyke” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Neil D. Opdyke in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Neil D. Opdyke means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Neil D. Opdyke out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Neil D. Opdyke in simple terms?

Neil D. Opdyke (February 7, 1933 – April 7, 2019) was an American geologist.

Why does Neil D. Opdyke matter?

Because it connects several astronomy 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 Neil D. Opdyke?

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 Neil D. Opdyke.