G. Ross Heath
Dean Emeritus of Ocean & Fishery Sciences and
Professor Emeritus of Oceanography
School of Oceanography
University of Washington
G. Ross Heath
University of Washington
School of Oceanography
Box 357940
Seattle, WA 98195-7940
Office Phone: (206) 543-5060
Home Phone: (206) 947-0378
Office: 107B Marine Sciences Building
E-mail: rheath@uw.edu
Scientific Interests
Geochemistry of deep-sea sediments and its application to paleoceanography, paleoclimatology, deep-sea ferromanganese
nodules and the interaction of radioactive wastes with deep-sea sediments; cabled deep-sea observatories (NEPTUNE).
Biography
Born March 10, 1939 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
B.Sc. in Chemistry, Geology, University of Adelaide, 1960.
B.Sc. (Honors degree) in Geology, University of Adelaide, 1961.
Ph.D. in Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1968.
South Australian Geological Survey, Geologist, 1960-1963.
Oregon State University, Assistant, Associate Professor of Oceanography, 1968-1975; Dean, Professor of Oceanography,
1978-1984.
University of Rhode Island, Associate, Professor of Oceanography, 1975-1978.
University of Washington, Dean Ocean and Fishery Sciences, Professor of Oceanography, 1984-1996; Dean Emeritus,
Professor of Oceanography, 1996-2007; Dean Emeritus, Professor Emeritus, 2007- present; Adjunct Professor, Marine
Affairs, 1998-2007; Adjunct Professor, Quaternary Research Center 1998-2007
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), President and Executive Director, 1996-1997
Professional Associations
American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow
American Geophysical Union, Fellow
Geological Society of America, Fellow
The Oceanography Society, Life Member
Selected Professional Activities
National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences
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Panel on Orientations for Geochemistry, 1972-1973 - Member
Steering Group for the Review and Analysis of the Navy Oceanographic Program, 1975 - Member
Ocean Sciences Board, 1976-1979 - Member
Ocean Policy Committee, 1981-1983 - Member
Board on Radioactive Waste Management, 1982-1990 - Member
Board on Ocean Science and Policy, 1983-1985 - Member; 1984-1985 - Chair
o Geophysics Research Forum, 1984-1985 - Member
o Board on Radioactive Waste Management's Panel for the Review of the DOE Environmental Restoration Priority
System, 1992-93 - Member
o Ocean Studies Board's Committee on the Implementation of a Seafloor Observatory Network for Oceanographic
Research, 2002-03 - Member
National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges
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Nominating Committee, Marine Division, 1983-1984 - Member
Agenda Committee, Marine Division, 1985-1987 - Member
Education Committee, Marine Division, 1985-1988 - Member
Board of Directors, Marine Division, 1988-1991 - Member
Board of Directors, Provisional Division of Environmental Affairs, 1990-1991 - Member
Board on Oceans and Atmosphere, 1991-94 - Member, Executive Committee; 1992-1993 - Co-Chair
Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources, Legislative Committee, 1995-1996 - Chair
Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling (JOIDES)
o Pacific Site Panel, Deep Sea Drilling Project, 1972-1975 - Member
o Advisory Panel on Sedimentary Petrology and Physical Properties, 1972-1974 - Consultant; 1974-1977 - Member
o Executive Committee, 1978-93 - Member; 1993-1996 - Alternate
Joint Oceanographic Institutions Inc. Board of Governors, 1978-94 - Member; 1982-1984 - Chair; 1994-1996 – Alternate
Professional Societies
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Geological Society of America Bulletin, 1973-1981 - Associate Editor
Geological Society of America, Arthur L. Day Medal Award Selection Committee, 1973-1976 - Member
Geological Society of America Committee on Committees, 1984 - Member
American Geophysical Union Committee of Fellows, 1986-1988 - Member
American Geophysical Union Ewing Award Subcommittee, 1986-1988 - Chair
American Geophysical Union Budget and Finance Committee, 1998-2005 - Member; 2002-2005 - Chair
o Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Research Committee, 1973-1976 - Member; 1973-1974 - Chair
Department of Energy
o DOE/Sandia National Laboratories' Subseabed Disposal Program Technical Steering Group, 1976-1986 - Member
o Seabed Working Group, Nuclear Energy Agency's Radioactive Waste Management Committee, 1977-1982 - Member
o Sandia National Laboratories' Peer Review Panel for Performance Assessment of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
(WIPP), New Mexico, 1987-1996 - Chair
o Sandia National Laboratories' Peer Review Panel for Performance Assessment of the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel
and High Level Waste Stored at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, 1993-1984 - Chair
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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National Sea Grant Office Science and Technology Task Group 1998-2010 - Member, 2002-2010 - Chair
National Sea Grant Office, Performance Review of the California Sea Grant Program, 1998 - Chair
National Sea Grant Office, Sea Grant Extension Program Review Panel, 2000 - Member
National Sea Grant Office, Performance Review of the Wisconsin Sea Grant Program, 2001 - Member
Department of Commerce, Sea Grant Review Panel / Sea Grant Advisory Board, 2001-2010 – Member;
2006-2007 Vice-chair and Acting Chair
o New Hampshire Sea Grant College Certification Committee, 2002-2003 – Chair
o Performance Review of the MIT Sea Grant Program, 2003 – Chair
o Performance Review of the South Carolina Sea Grant Program, 2004 – Chair
o Performance Review of the Florida Sea Grant Program, 2005 – Chair
o Special Review Team for the Virginia Sea Grant Program, 2005-2006 – Chair
o Performance Review of the Puerto Rico Sea Grant Program, 2006 – Chair
o Special Review Team for the New Jersey Sea Grant Program, 2007 – Chair
o Liaison to the OAR Senior Research Committee, 2010
o Site Review Team, Alaska Sea Grant Program 2010 – Co-Chair
o Site Review Team, Rhode Island Sea Grant Program 2010 – Co-Chair
o Site Review Team, Puerto Rico Sea Grant Program 2011 – Co-Chair
o Site Review Team, Delaware Sea Grant Program 2011 – Co-Chair
o Site Review Team, North Carolina Sea Grant Program 2011 – Co-Chair
International Union of Geological Sciences' Commission for Marine Geology, 1983-present - Member
International Council of Scientific Unions' Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research, 1984-1990 - U.S. National Member;
1984-1990 - Vice President
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 1987-present - Member, Board of Directors; 1995-1996 - Chair, Education
Committee
Washington State Legislative Joint Select Committee on Marine and Ocean Resources, 1988-1990 - Chair, Advisory
Committee
Council on Ocean Affairs, 1989-93 - Member, Steering Committee
Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education, Board of Governors, 1994-1998 - Member; 1995-1998 - Member,
Executive Committee; 1996-1998 - Chair
College of Marine Science and Fisheries, Sultanate of Oman, Foundation Committee, 1994-1996 - Member; 1995-1996 Chair
KIRO TV (CBS), 1993 - Environmental Analyst
Seattle Aquarium Society
o Board of Governors, 1998-present - Member
o Seattle Aquarium Research Center for Conservation and Husbandry, Advisory Committee, 2006-present, Chair
Major Research Programs
IDOE CLIMAP – Steering Committee
IDOE Nazca Plate
IDOE MANOP – Director
DOE Subseabed Disposal – Steering Committee
Field Experience
South Australia: Geological mapping and supervision of exploratory drilling in Precambrian shield and Great Australian
Artesian Basin.
Oceanographic expeditions: To Pacific (14), Atlantic (5), and Indian (1) Oceans on vessels of Scripps Institution of
Oceanography (6), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (1), Oregon State University (6), Texas A & M University (1),
University of Rhode Island (1), Deep Sea Drilling Project (3), and University of Washington (1)
Plate Tectonicist at Work (Iceland)
Selected Publications
1968
Vertical mixing in pelagic sediments.J. Mar. Res.,26(2): 134-143. (W.H. Berger and G.R. Heath).
1969
Mineralogy of Cenozoic deep-sea sediments from the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull.,80(10): 1997-2018.
(G.R. Heath).
1970
Calcite: degree of saturation, rate of dissolution, and the compensation depth in the deep oceans. Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull.,81(10):
3157-3160. (G.R. Heath and C. Culberson).
1971
Rates of accumulation of manganese nodules and associated sediment from the equatorial Pacific. Geochim. Cosmochim.
Acta,35(6): 621-624. (B.L.K. Somayajulu, G.R. Heath, T.C. Moore, Jr., and D.S. Cronan).
Cherts from the western Pacific: Leg 7, Deep Sea Drilling Project. In: Winterer, E.L. et al.,Initial Reports of the Deep Sea
Drilling Project, Vol. VII(2), Washington (U.S. Govt. Printing Office), p. 991-1007. (G.R. Heath and R.M. Moberly, Jr.).
1973
Interstitial silica in deep-sea sediments from the North Pacific. Geology,1(4):181-184. (G.R. Heath and J. Dymond).
1974
Mineralogy of surface sediments from the Panama Basin, eastern equatorial Pacific. Jour. Geol.,82:145-160. (G.R. Heath, T.C.
Moore, and G.L. Roberts).
Dissolved silica and deep-sea sediments. In: Studies in Paleoceanography,Hay, W.W., ed., S.E.P.M. Special Pub., 20:77-93.
(G.R. Heath).
1975
Cenozoic history and paleoceanography of the central equatorial Pacific Ocean. Geol. Soc. Amer. Memoir143, 134 p. (Tj.H.
van Andel, G.R. Heath, and T.C. Moore, Jr.).
1977
Genesis and transformation of metalliferous sediments from the East Pacific Rise, Bauer Deep, and Central Basin, northwest
Nazca Plate. Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull.,88(5):723-733. (G.R. Heath and J. Dymond).
Organic carbon in deep-sea sediments. In: Anderson, N.R., and Malahoff, A., eds., Fate of Fossil Fuel CO2 in the
Oceans,Plenum Press, New York, p. 605-625. (G.R. Heath, T.C. Moore, Jr., and J.P. Dauphin).
Carbonate accumulation and dissolution in the equatorial Pacific during the past 45 million years. In: Anderson, N.R., and
Malahoff, A., eds., Fate of Fossil Fuel CO2 in the Oceans.Plenum Press, New York, p. 627-639. (G.R. Heath, T.C. Moore,
Jr., and Tj.H. van Andel).
Early oxidation of organic matter in pelagic sediments of the eastern equatorial Atlantic: suboxic diagenesis.
Geochim.Cosmochim. Acta, 43:1075-1090. (P.N. Froelich, G.P. Klinkhammer, M.L. Bender, N.A. Luedtke, G.R. Heath, D.
Cullen, P. Dauphin, D . Hammond, B. Hartman, and V. Maynard).
1979
Simulations of a glacial paleoclimate by three different atmospheric general circulation models. Palaeogeog., Palaeclimatol.,
Palaeoecol.,26:291-303. (G.R. Heath).
Method for the quantitative estimation of clay minerals in North Pacific deep-sea sediments. Clays Clay Minerals,27(3):175184. (G.R. Heath and N.G. Pisias).
Burial rates, growth rates, and size distribution of deep-sea manganese nodules. Science,205(4409):903-904. (G.R. Heath)
1980
Paleomagnetic studies of central North Pacific sediment cores: stratigraphy, sedimentation rates, and the origin of magnetic
instability. Geol. Soc. America Bull., Pt. II, 91:1789-1835. (R.A. Prince, G.R. Heath, and M. Kominz)
1981
Subseabed disposal of nuclear wastes. Science, 213(2414): 1321-1326. (C.D. Hollister, D.R. Anderson, and G.R. Heath).
Metalliferous-sediment deposition in time and space: East Pacific Rise and Bauer Basin, northern Nazca plate. Geol.
Soc.Amer. Mem. 154:175-198. (G.R. Heath and J. Dymond).
Ferromanganese nodules of the deep sea. Econ. Geol., 75th Anniv. Vol., p. 736-765. (G.R. Heath).
1983
Why consider subseabed disposal of high-level nuclear wastes? In: Park, P.K., Kester, D.R., Duedall, I.W., and Ketchum,
B.H.,eds., Wastes in the Ocean, Vol. 3, Radioactive Wastes and the Ocean, John Wiley and Sons, New York, p. 303-325.
(G.R. Heath, C.D. Hollister, D.R. Anderson, and M. Leinen).
1984
Models of depth-dependent bioturbation at Manop Site H in the eastern equatorial Pacific. J. Geophys. Res., 89(C4): 65676570. (D. Kadko and G.R. Heath).
1986
Distribution of biogenic silica and quartz in recent deep-sea sediments. Geology, 14(3):199-203. (M. Leinen, D. Cwienk, G.R.
Heath, P.E. Biscaye, V. Kolla, J. Thiede, and J.P. Dauphin).
Isothermal diffusion of Eu and Th in deep-sea sediments: experimental results and a numerical model. Clays Clay Minerals,
34(3): 295-306. (G.B. Epstein and G.R. Heath).
1993
Cenozoic sedimentation history of the central North Pacific; inferences from the elemental geochemistry of core LL44-GPC3.
Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 57(8): 1719-1740. (F.T. Kyte, M. Leinen, G.R. Heath and L. Zhou).
2000
NEPTUNE: real-time ocean and earth sciences at the scale of a tectonic plate. Oceanography, 13(2): 71-79. (J.R. Delaney,
G.R. Heath, B. Howe, A.D. Chave and H. Kirkham).
rheath@ uw.edu
Last Modified (G.R. Heath): February 14, 2012
Copyright 1996 G. Ross Heath. All rights reserved.