Anthony R. Barringer

Infobox Scientist


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name = Dr. Anthony R. Barringer
birth_date = Bda|1925|10|20
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residence = United States
citizenship = American
nationality = Canadian
field = Geophysics
work_institution = Barringer Research Inc.
alma_mater = Imperial College London
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known_for = Development of technology for mineral, oil and gas exploration
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prizes = Mining Hall of Fame
Logan Medal
Virgil Kauffman Gold Medal
Daniel C. Jackling Award
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Anthony R. “Tony” Barringer (born October 20, 1925) is a Canadian/American geophysicist. He has made numerous contributions to mineral exploration technology. His most famous work was the development of the INPUT airborne electromagnetic system, which has been credited in the discovery of tens of billions of dollars worth of ore deposits.

Before beginning his university studies, Barringer served with the British Army in World War II. In 1948, he began attending the University of London. In 1951, he obtained a B.Sc. in economic geology from the university’s Imperial College of Science and Technology. He obtained a PhD degree in 1954, from the same institution.

Career

Barringer left the United Kingdom to accept a post in Toronto, Canada with Selco Exploration as an exploration geologist. Eventually he was promoted to Manager of its Airborne and Technical Services division. At this time, he invented the INPUT (Induced Pulse Transient) airborne electromagnetic system and the equipment for a portable ground electromagnetic system. This technology allows explorers to get a better understanding of the minerals in a rock formation, without extracting the rocks. The Society of Exploration Geophysicists said INPUT was “a meritorious technical achievement which has been instrumental in the discovery of many base metal deposits in a number of countries around the world.”

In 1961, he formed a private company, Barringer Research Ltd. He was the President and major shareholder. Barringer continued to develop the airborne system and licenses its use to exploration companies. Major oil and mining companies depended on this remote-sensing technology for their exploration. It has been credited in the discovery of over 25 commercial ore deposits, representing tens of billions of dollars.

Barringer Research went public in 1967. Ten years later, Barringer moved to Denver, Colorado and brought the company's headquarters with him. He later became a citizen of the United States.

Barringer made numerous technical contributions to the mining industry, including a laser-induced fluorescence-based system used primarily in oil and gas exploration (FLUOROSCAN), correlation spectrometer used to measure atmospheric dispersions of various gases (COSPEC), an infrared remote sensor for atmospheric gases which has been used by NASA to measure the world-wide atmospheric distribution of carbon dioxide (GASPEC), two airborne conductivity mapping systems using very low frequency fields (E-phase and radiophase) and several particulate analyzers (COTRAN, SURTRACE, LASERTRACE and AIRTRACE). He has presented more than 80 technical papers and has been awarded more than 70 patents in Canada, the U.S., and other countries.

In 1989, Barringer officially retired.

Honours and awards

*inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame by the Mining Association of Canada
*1977, awarded the Logan Medal by the Geological Association of Canada
*1980, awarded the Virgil Kauffman Gold Medal by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists
*1985, awarded the Daniel C. Jackling Award by the American Association of Mining and Petroleum Engineers

External links

* [http://www.halloffame.mining.ca/halloffame/english/bios/barringer.html Mining Hall of Fame Bio]
* [http://www.mssu.edu/seg-vm/bio_a__r__barringer.html Kauffman Gold Medal Bio]
* [http://sec.edgar-online.com/1996/04/01/00/0000905718-96-000101/Section29.asp Barringer Technologies Inc. Annual Report]
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,834655,00.html?promoid=googlep Lunar Blindness]
* [http://www.smenet.org/SCRD/awardDetail.cfm?awardId=446&buid=5 Society for Mining , Metallurgy and Exploration]