earth science

Ralph J. Roberts (geologist)

Ralph J. Roberts (geologist) 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 Ralph J. Roberts (geologist) rather than just read about it. In short: Ralph Jackson Roberts (1911–2007) was an American geologist and research scientist with the USGS. He is credited with the discovery of the Carlin and Battle Mountain Gold Belts, which make up the richest gold-mining region in Nevada as well as the United States.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Ralph Jackson Roberts (1911–2007) was an American geologist and research scientist with the USGS. He is credited with the discovery of the Carlin and Battle Mountain Gold Belts, which make up the richest gold-mining region in Nevada as well as the United States.

Early life Roberts grew up in eastern Washington, and earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Washington in Seattle. His PhD research, which he conducted at Yale University, defined the Antler orogeny, a major mountain-building episode in the late Paleozoic.

USGS work During World War II Roberts lived in Central America, where he had been sent to discover and conduct fundamental research on strategic minerals. After the war he returned to the United States; for the next 40 years he worked in Nevada and Utah, deciphering the geologic history of major mountain ranges and exploring mineral deposits. In 1960, Roberts published a paper that predicted the existence of important mineral-bearing rocks in Nevada. Roberts' research led to the discovery of the Carlin and Cortez-Battle Mountain gold belts. These two mining districts now represent the richest gold region in the United States, and one of the leading gold producing regions of the world. During the 1970s he spent six years in Saudi Arabia, mapping ore deposits and contributing to the development of the Arabian mining industry. He retired from the USGS in 1981, but continued his mineral exploration in Nevada for over two decades.

Honors and awards Distinguished Service Award from the US Department of the Interior Medal of Merit from the National Mining Hall of Fame Distinguished Service to the Minerals Industry Award from the Northwest Mining Association The Ralph J. Roberts Center for Research in Economic Geology at the University of Nevada was named in his honor.

Publications Roberts, Ralph Jackson. "Quicksilver deposits of the Bottle Creek District, Humboldt County, Nevada" USGS Bulletin No. 922-A (1940) Roberts, Ralph Jackson. "Quicksilver deposit at Buckskin Peak National mining district, Humboldt County, Nevada" USGS Bulletin No. 922-E (1940) Roberts, Ralph Jackson. "Manganese deposits in Costa Rica" USGS Bulletin No. 935-H (1944) Roberts, Ralph Jackson. "Geology of the Antler Peak Quadrangle, Nevada". USGS Open-File Report 49-47 (1949) Roberts, Ralph Jackson, Irving, E.M. "Mineral deposits of Central America" USGS Bulletin No. 1034 (1957) Roberts, RJ, Holtz, PE, Gilluly, J, and Ferguson, HG. "Paleozoic Rocks of North-Central Nevada". AAPG Bulletin, v 42, #12, pp 2813–2857 (1958) Roberts, Ralph Jackson. "Stratigraphy and Structure of the Antler Peak Quadrangle, Humboldt and Lander Counties, Nevada" Geological Survey Professional Paper 459-A (1964) Roberts, Ralph Jackson. "The genesis of disseminated and massive sulfide deposits in Saudi Arabia" USGS Open-File Report No. 76-602 (1976) Luce, Robert W., Bagdady, A., Roberts, R.J. "Geology and ore deposits of the Mahd adh Dhahab district, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" USGS Open-File Report No. 76-865 (1976) Roberts, Ralph Jackson, Rye, R.O., Mawad, M.M. "Preliminary sulfur isotope investigations of mineral deposits in the Precambrian shield, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" USGS Open-File Report No. 78-776 (1978) Roberts, Ralph Jackson, Bagdady, A., Luce, R.W. "Geochemical investigations in the Mahd Adh Dhahab District, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" USGS Open-File Report No. 78-777 (1978) Bagdady, A.Y., Whitlow, J.W., Roberts, R.J. "Placer gold deposits in the Mahd Adh Dhahab district, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" USGS Open-File Report No. 78-1074 (1978) Martin, Conrad, Roberts, R.J., Stoeser, D.B. "Titaniferous magnetite in the layered intrusive complex at Lakathah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" USGS Open-File Report No. 79-1210 (1979) Roberts, Ralph Jackson. "Iron sulfide deposits at Wadi Wassat, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" USGS Open-File Report No. 82-176 (1981)

Later life In 2002, Roberts published his autobiography, entitled A Passion for Gold. ISBN 0-87417-502-X

See also Carlin Trend John Livermore, co-discoverer of the Carlin Mine Gold mining in Nevada

References

External links Roberts' obituary in The News Tribune, Tacoma, Washington, published August 13, 2007 Ralph Roberts Center for Research in Economic Geology at the University of Nevada, Reno

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ralph J. Roberts (geologist)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ralph J. Roberts (geologist) 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 Ralph J. Roberts (geologist) 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 Ralph J. Roberts (geologist) 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 Ralph J. Roberts (geologist)

In research: Ralph J. Roberts (geologist) 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 Ralph J. Roberts (geologist) 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: Ralph J. Roberts (geologist) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1911 births, 2007 deaths, 20th-century American geologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ralph J. Roberts (geologist) 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 Ralph J. Roberts (geologist) in 20 minutes

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Close the page and write down what Ralph J. Roberts (geologist) means in your own words.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Ralph J. Roberts (geologist) in simple terms?

Why does Ralph J. Roberts (geologist) 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 Ralph J. Roberts (geologist)?

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 Ralph J. Roberts (geologist).