ENHS Nature Trails September 2003 Article 1

This month's speaker: Sam Boggs

I didn't get a chance to find out if Dr. Boggs ever took his students on some of the adventures he's now experiencing, but looking at the geology in his photos, his students certainly could have experienced first hand a complete textbook on stratigraphy. The Eugene Natural History Society is truly fortunate to begin its 2003/2004 season with Dr. Boggs, whose personal interests in birding, photography, hiking and fly fishing add depth to his travels. And, for many in ENHS, his depth of knowledge in the field of geology, adds a final and very significant dimension to his trip down the Kongakut River in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Here's a little bit of what Dr. Boggs has to say about his life experiences that landed him in our town:

"I grew up in a country setting, and I have always been interested in outdoor things. For example, two of my brothers and I had an interest in birding from an early age. My parents, especially my mother, were determined that all of their children (eight) would have an opportunity for education even though they had little money. Consequently, all of us attended University and all but two graduated with degrees. As far as my own academic paths are concerned, my mother especially encouraged me. Also, my siblings, all of whom were older, were strong role models for me. I particularly remember one woman teacher during elementary school, but I can think of any one teacher who influenced me to move into the field of geology. That was my own decision. Most of my brothers were engineers.

I focused during my first two years of university study on subjects in the field of forestry. After taking a course in introductory geology, followed by a three year hiatus during the Korean War, I changed my major to geology. I took a job with a major oil company after graduating with a B.S. degree from the University of Kentucky. Oil company geological work deals mainly with sedimentary rocks. That work experience influenced me to specialize in sedimentology when I later took a Ph.D. degree in geology at the University of Colorado. I spent time in Japan during the Korean War. I later spent one of my sabbatical years at the Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo. I also spent one sabbatical at the Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. More recently, especially since retirement, I have traveled extensively in Alaska for sightseeing, fly fishing, and, of course, my trip down the Kongakut River in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska."

Sometime after receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Boggs accepted a job at the University of Oregon as an Associate Professor in the Department of Geology. Today, as a Professor Emeritus here in Eugene, he continues his research and writing between adventures. Along the way, Dr. Boggs has distinguished himself with many awards and honors, including an appointment as Scientist-in-Residence, Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago, in 1982. He carried out basic research on complexing of dissolved humic substances with selected radionuclides. Just prior to this appointment he spent time at the Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, as a visiting research professor and studied marine sediments around the Japanese Islands.

Early in his academic career, he was appointed Visiting Professor of Geology, Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, 1972-1973, where he helped establish a graduate research program in sedimentological oceanography, helped organize cruises and carried out research on shelf and pelagic sediments around Taiwan and in the Philippine Sea. What's in Dr. Boggs research lens today? I am currently doing research that involves studying the cathodoluminescence (CL) properties of quartz by using the scanning electron microscope. This work focuses on using the CL properties of quartz as a tool for evaluating the origin of quartz in sedimentary rocks.

Editor's note: Along with his research, he's also beginning work on the 4th edition of his textbook, "Principles of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy." Friday night Dr. Boggs takes us on a highly scenic adventure down the braided Kongakut. He states it will be "a fairly straightforward account of my experience rafting the Kongakut River in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. If time allows, I will also make a few remarks about oil drilling in the Refuge." (We'd like to hear those remarks.)

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