News Release

Western US cordillera expert honored in new GSA book

Book Announcement

Geological Society of America

Ophiolites, Arcs, and Batholiths: A Tribute to Cliff Hopson

image: Special Paper 438. view more 

Credit: Geological Society of America

Boulder, CO, USA – The Geological Society of America presents a new volume focusing on ophiolites, arcs, and batholiths in the western U.S. cordillera in celebration of the outstanding contributions of Cliff Hopson (professor emeritus, Univ. of California–Santa Barbara) to earth science, teaching, and student mentoring. The volume's centerpiece is Hopson's exhaustive paper on the Coast Range ophiolite, which reflects 30-plus years of field and laboratory work. Subsequent chapters are contributions by Hopson's many colleagues and former students.

Volume editor James Wright of the University of Georgia notes, "Perhaps Cliff's biggest contribution to the geosciences is his role as an advisor and mentor to generations of students and colleagues. What ophiolite researchers have not been on at least one of his field trips to the Coast Range ophiolite at Point Sal, returning to the vehicles in the dark, with only the headlights to guide them?"

Hopson describes his study area as the composite California Coast Range ophiolite, consisting of remnants of Middle Jurassic oceanic lithosphere, a Late Jurassic deep-sea volcanopelagic sediment cover, and Late Jurassic intrusive sheets that invade the ophiolite and volcanopelagic succession. Much of the knowledge concerning ophiolite genesis, arc volcanism, and batholith emplacement finds it roots in the study of this and surrounding areas.

This volume is an outgrowth of a symposium in honor of Cliff Hopson held at the GSA Cordilleran Section Meeting in 2005. Hopson has also completed seminal studies on batholith emplacement in the Cascades, the Semail ophiolite of Oman, and basalts from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

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Individual copies of the volume may be purchased through the Geological Society of America online bookstore http://rock.geosociety.org/Bookstore/default.asp?oID=0&catID=9&pID=SPE438 or by contacting GSA Sales and Service, gsaservice@geosociety.org.

Book editors of earth science journals/publications may request a review copy by contacting Jeanette Hammann, jhammann@geosociety.org.

Ophiolites, Arcs, and Batholiths: A Tribute to Cliff Hopson
James E. Wright and John W. Shervais (editors)
Geological Society of America Special Paper 438
2008, 572 pages, US$130.00, GSA member price US$91.00
ISBN 978-0-8137-2438-6

www.geosociety.org


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