ARCHIVEGRID

Terris Moore talks about first meeting with Sydney Chapman in the winter of 1950-51, holding public lectures at the university, Dr. Chapman invitation to lecture at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a demonstration of Dr. Chapman's open thinking, offer of a job to Dr. Chapman at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, International Geophysical Year, Dr. Chapman's arrival on campus, taking Dr. Chapman for a ride in his airplane and landing on a gravel bar on the Tanana River, Dr. Chapman's excellence as a teacher and a researcher, his publication record, and words of praise for Dr. Chapman. Katrina Moore talked about the time they were at a dinner and someone brought gold nuggets from a mine at Iditarod and gave Dr. Chapman a gold nugget, visiting with Dr. Chapman when they were living in Cambridge, and Dr. Chapman's walking habits. Dr. Moore talked about the last time he saw Dr. Chapman and Dr. Chapman's kindness

Neal Davis talks about the aurora

ORAL HISTORY 2012-15 PT. 1. Jack Townshend talks about how he became interested in geophysical sciences, accompanying his father to his job, getting a job with the Coastal Geodetic Survey, enrolling in correspondence classes, studying mathematics and physics, learning his work ethic from his father, working in Washington, D.C. and Maryland, helping the Colombian government to build one of their first magnetic observatories, profiling the magnetic field, profiling for the space age, working as a training officer, the International Geophysical Year, the Fredericksburg Geomagnetic Center, building a special facility that could test and simulate the magnetic conditions in space, applying for an opening at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the cooperative program between the Coastal Geodetic Survey and the university, being appointed the director of the observatory, changes in instruments his father used, measuring a nena tesla, advances in technology denying the younger scientist the ...

Interview with J. Frank Rollins, an oilman and a geophysicist, concerning his work experience with Petty Geophysical Engineering Company doing refraction seismic work; his employment with Geophysical Service, Inc.; doing reflection and refraction work in 1936; oil exploration in South America; work in oil field instrumentation equipment; work as a "computer" interpreting geological data; founding of Rayflex Exploration Company in 1948; technological developments for oil field exploration; geochemical surveying; the sale of Rayflex to Phillips-Eckhart in 1962; his work as a geophysical consultant; the application of oil field technology to national defense; German espionage activity in South America during World War II; and pro-German activity in South Louisiana during World War II

Geophysicist Charles Bentley led a pre-IGY over-snow traverse in the summer of 1956-57 along the newly blazed tractor-train route from Little America V to the not yet built inland Byrd Station. Taking seismic measurements enroute, the group concluded to their surprise that much of the land beneath the ice sheet lay below sea level. Bentley wintered over at Byrd in 1957 to prepare for the coming summer's traverse -- to continue mapping the West Antarctic ice sheet. Excited by the work and unsure that he would ever have such an opportunity again, he signed on for a second year to repeat the entire sequence. Later he led three more traverse expeditions, spent eighteen seasons on the ice, served as a member and leader of the National Research Council's Polar Research Board, the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research and the SCAR's Group of Specialists on Global Change and the Antarctic (GLOCHANT)

Rick Seifert introduces Merritt Helfferich. Merritt Helfferich talks about Neil Davis, Tom Hallanan, Vince Client, research in Alaska before the Geophysical Institute, initiation of the first aurora studies in the early 1930s, Professor Fuller, Bramhall, participation during the second International Polar Year, researching reasons for poor radio communication in Alaska, the federal government building an observatory and research organizaiton in the middle of campus, the first director, Stuart Seaton, Terrance Moore, William Wilson, Sydney Chapman, Chris Elvey, what kind of people were at the Geophysical Institute, public service activities, his first job with the Institute, the Geophysical Institute producint the first Ph. D. student and the first Alaska Native Ph. D. student at the university, Neil Davis, Charles Wilson, Eldon Thompson, Syun-ichi Akasofu, team work, humor at the Institute, the nature of successful work places, scientific contributions by the Geophysical Institute and ...

Keith Mather talks about the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, Elvey Building, Chapman Building, geomagnetic features of Alaska, aurora borealis, geographic features of Alaska, volcanology, seismology, glaciology, Syun Akasofu, international students, Stuart Seaton, history of the Geophysical Institute, William Wilson, Sydney Chapman, C.T. Elvey, mural on the Elvey Building, Poker Flats Research Range, Neil Davis, and research

Gunter Weller talks about migrating to Australia and shaping his career, becoming involved in research in Antarctica, the Geophysical Institute and moving to Alaska, the atmosphere of the Geophysical Institute at the time, how the Geophysical Institute operated, the Geophysical Institute under the directorship of Juan Roederer, the Geophysical Institute under the directorship of Syun Akasofu, Japanese involvement in polar research, discussion on global climate change and Geophysical Institute involvement, analysis of global climate change, the multi-disciplinary nature of researching climate change, sorting out natural versus man-made variation in climate change, finding the balance between disciplinary and interdisciplinary science, contrasting the Arctic and Antarctica and the competency of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, looking to the future and the direction of the Geophysical Institute, and research needs for the future

Dr. Akasofu introduces Dr. Hunsucker. Dr. Hunsucker talk is titled: Brief history of radio science at the Geophysical Institute. Dr. Hunsucker talks about terminology relating to radio science, different techniques to probe the ionosphere, different techniques examining different portions of the atmosphere, different acronyms used, technological inventions and people involved in the history of radio science, approval by the university regents for land for the federal government to establish a geophysical observatory, establishment of the Geophysical Institute, completion of the building in 1951, Stewart Seaton, Glenn Stanley, Chris Elvey, the early years at the Geophysical Institute, the ionisonde, Sidney Chapman, Bob Merritt, influx of people during the International Physical Year, Keith Mather, communication satellites, digital signal processing, and results of thirty years of radio science research at the Geophysical Institute

Bill Stringer talks about his family background and childhood, moving to Las Vegas and his father's interest in inventions, his father's unique interests carry over into Bill Stringer's life, education, high school, university, graduate school, coming to the Geophysical Institute and working on a masters and a doctorate degree, living in Alaska, remote sensing projects and life at the Geophysical Institute, fake memo story continued, the Sheik Yamani joke continued, career at Geophysical Institute, imagery used on the Exxon Valdez spill and Bill's involvement, tracking the Exxon Valdez oil spill using weather satellites, using the daily satellite data, specialized training in understanding how radar interacts with surfaces, cosmology and science, the future of the Geophysical Institute, the disciplines in science have moved towards each other, and the depth of personnel at University of Alaska Fairbanks