- Kirk Bryan (geologist)
Infobox Scientist
name =Kirk Bryan
box_width =
image_width =150px
caption = Kirk Bryan
birth_date =22 July ,1888
birth_place =Albuquerque ,New Mexico
death_date =22 August ,1950
death_place = Cody,Wyoming
residence =
citizenship =
nationality = American
ethnicity =
field =geology
work_institutions =
alma_mater =Yale University
doctoral_advisor =
doctoral_students =Luna Leopold
known_for =
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influences =
influenced =
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religion =
footnotes =Kirk Bryan (
22 July ,1888 inAlbuquerque ,New Mexico -22 August ,1950 in Cody,Wyoming ) was an Americangeologist on the faculty ofHarvard University from 1925 until his death in 1950.Bryan received his undergraduate education at the
University of New Mexico and later obtained a Ph.D. fromYale University . [ [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0004-5608(195103)41%3A1%3C88%3AKB1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6 Kirk Bryan, 1888-1950] , by Derwent Whittlesey, "Annals of the Association of American Geographers", Vol. 41, No. 1 (Mar., 1951), pp. 88-94]A
geomorphologist , he worked primarily in arid regions, and was one of the pioneers in explaining the forces that formed landmasses in those areas.According to
Luna Leopold , one of his students, Bryan was influential as a teacher. In 2004, Leopold wrote: [ [http://eps.berkeley.edu/people/lunaleopold/(181)%20Geomorphology%20-%20A%20Sliver%20Off%20the%20Corpus%20of%20Science.pdf Geomorphology: A Sliver Off the Corpus of Science] , Luna B. Leopold, Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 2004. 32:l-12]His students made important advances in a variety of subjects, including alluvial chronology,
periglacial andglacial geology , wind action, soil and vegetative effects on landscape development, andarchaeology . His influence is indicated by the fact that of the four geologists who have received theNational Medal of Science , three were students of Kirk Bryan. [Leopold did not provide a list of the National Medal of Science winners to whom he referred, and his meaning is not apparent. Earth scientists in addition to Leopold who had received the National Medal of Science at the time of this statement include geochemistWallace S. Broecker , oceanographerWalter Munk , geophysicistFrank Press , oceanographerRoger Revelle , geologistWilliam Rubey , planetary geologistEugene Shoemaker , meteorologistVerner Suomi , geophysicistGeorge Wetherill , and geographerGilbert F. White . None of these men's biographies (other than Leopold's) suggest that they ever studied formally under Bryan, although several may have collaborated with him.]The
Geological Society of America 's Kirk Bryan Award is named in his honour. It is awarded annually in recognition of a publication of distinction advancing the science of geomorphology orQuaternary geology [ [http://rock.geosociety.org/qgg/KBA.html Kirk Bryan Award] , Geological Society of America website] , which were Bryan's areas of specialization.Publications
Bryan was a prolific writer. This is a partial list of his scientific contributions:
*1925. Date of channel trenching (arroyo cutting) in the arid Southwest. "Science" 62(1607): 338–344.
*1927. Channel erosion of the Rio Salado, Socorro County, New Mexico. "U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin" 79: 15–19.
*1928. Historic evidence on changes in the channel of Rio Puerco, a tributary of the Rio Grande in New Mexico. "Journal of Geology" 36(3): 265–282.
*1928. Change in plant associations by change in ground water level. "Ecology" 9(4): 474–478.
*1929. Flood-water farming. "Geographical Review" 19:444–456.
*1929. Folsom culture and its age. "Geological Society of America Bulletin" 40:128-129.
*1938. Prehistoric quarries and implements of pre-Amerindian aspect in New Mexico. "Science" (new series) 87 (229): 343–346.
*1941. Geologic antiquity of man in America. "Science" 93 (2422): 505-514.
*K. Bryan and C.C. Albritton. 1943. Soil phenomena as evidence of climate changes. "American Journal of Science " 241: 469-490.
*1950. The Place of Geomorphology in the Geographic Sciences. "Annals of the Association of American Geographers", Vol. 40, No. 3 (Sep., 1950), pp. 196-208References
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