Brent Dalrymple

<h3>By: Lauren Smith</h3>
<blockquote>"...Dalrymple authoritatively unfolds the evidence for an Earth that is billions of years old. " -Science and Theology News about his book <em>Ancient Earth, Ancient Skies</em></blockquote>
<div class="img-center"><img alt=" G. Brent Dalrymple" src="https://ceoas.oregonstate.edu/people/photos/dalrymple.jpg">
<div class="img-credit">Photo Credit: <a href="https://ceoas.oregonstate.edu/profile/dalrymple/">Oregon State University</a></div>
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<h3>Biographical Information</h3>
<p>Dr. (Gary) Brent Dalrymple was born in 1937 in Alhambra, California. He received his first Geology degree from Occidental College in 1959 and his Ph. D. in Geology from University of California in 1963. Dr. Dalrymple spent thirty-one years as a Research Geologist with the United State Geological Survey (USGS) in California. In 1994, he became a Professor of Oceanography and Dean of the College of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences of Oregon State University. He retired in 2001.</p>
<p><strong>Research Interest:</strong></p>
<p>Radiometric dating methods, esp. 40Ar/39Ar techniques<br>
Geomagnetic field behavior, esp. Polarity reversals<br>
History and timing of volcanic events<br>
Impact history on the early Moon<br>
Age of the Earth</p>
<p><strong>Education:</strong></p>
<p>A.B., Geology, Occidental College, 1959<br>
Ph.D., Geology, University of California, Berkeley, 1963</p>
<h3>Specific contributions to the theory of plate tectonics and/or our modern view of the solid Earth</h3>
<p>Dr. Dalrymple’s major contribution to the theory of plate tectonics is focused in the determination of the time scale of the reversals of the Earth’s magnetic field for the past four millions years. He also had a hand in the demonstration of plate movement with the use of the Hawaiian-Emperor volcanic chain. Noting that the Pacific Plate was moving over top an area of fixed lava production in the mantle.</p>
<div class="img-center"><img alt=" " src="http://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/__data/assets/image/0007/5884/varieties/pmag2_...
<div class="img-credit">Photo Credit: http://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/research/groups/magnetism/research/introductio...
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<h3>Other important scientific contributions</h3>
<p>In more recent years, Dalrymple’s interests lie with early impact history of the Moon. He focused on determining the timing of the large impact craters that created the prominent lunar basins. Also he delved in the thermal history of the geomthermal geysers in northern California.</p>
<h3>Other cool stuff you should know</h3>
<p>Academic Honors that Dr. Dalrymple has received:</p>
<p>Fellow, American Geophysical Union, 1975 (only 0.1% gain membership each year)<br>
American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 1992<br>
Honorary D.Sc., Occidental College, 1993<br>
National Academy of Sciences, 1993<br>
Public Service Award, Geological Society of America, 2001<br>
National Medal of Science, 2003</p>
<p>Dr. Dalrymple has written two books dealing with the age of our Earth:<em>The Age of the Earth</em> (1994) and <em>Ancient Earth, Ancient Skies: The Age of Earth and Its Cosmic Surroundings</em> (2004).</p>
<p>Below you can see Dr. Dalrymple being awarded the National Medal of Science in 2003 from President George W. Bush.</p>
<div class="img-center"><img alt="" src="/earth520/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.earth520/files/image/giants/george_bush.jpg&quot... alt="National Medal of Science" src="/earth520/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.earth520/files/image/giants/medal_f.jpg">
<div class="img-credit">Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=103090">National Science Foundation</a></div>
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<p>In my research of Dr. Dalrymple, I came across his testimony in the McLean v. Arkansas case. This case focused on science education in public schools. There was a law enacted within Arkansas that was titled "Arkansas Act 590 of 1981, Balance Treatment of Creation Science and Evolution Science Act." This mandated that creation science be given equal time in public schools with evolution.</p>
<p>Creation Science was defined as: "Creation science means that scientific evidence for creation and inferences from those evidences. Creation science includes the scientific evidences and related inferences that indicate: 1. Sudden creation of the universe, energy and life from nothing.2. The insufficiency of mutation and natural selection in bringing about development of all livings kinds from a single organism. 3. Changes only with fixed limits of originally created kinds of plants and animals. 4. Separate ancestry for man and apes. 5. Explanation of the earth's geology by catastrophism, including the occurrence of worldwide flood. 6. A relatively recent inception of earth and living."</p>
<p>Evolution Science was defined as follows: "Evolution-science means the scientific evidences for evolution and inferences from those scientific evidences. Evolution-science includes the scientific evidences and related inferences that indicate: 1. Emergence by naturalistic processes of the universe from disordered matter and emergence of life from nonlife. 2. The sufficiency of mutation and natural selection in bringing about development of present livings kinds of simple earlier kinds. 3. Emergency by mutation and natural selection of present living kinds from simple earlier kinds. 4. Emergence of man from a common ancestor with apes. 5. Explanation of earth's geology and the evolutionary sequence by uniformitarianism. 5. An inception several billion years ago of the earth and somewhat later of life."</p>
<p>This Act was signed into law by Governor Frank D. White on March 19, 1981."</p>
<p>Dr. Dalrymple was brought in as an expert on determining the age of the Earth through scientific techniques. Throughout his testimony and questioning he explained how the Earth was billions of years old rather than what creationists believe it to be; which is anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 years old. The ruling in the case was that teaching creation science is "simply not science." Dr. Dalrymple's testimony as well as many other's removed Act 590 from Arkansas.</p>
<p>Dr. Dalrymple has written two books dealing with the age of our Earth: <em>The Age of the Earth</em> (1994) and <em>Ancient Earth, Ancient Skies: The Age of Earth and Its Cosmic Surroundings</em> (2004).</p>
<h4>Bibliography</h4>
<p>Biography - Brent Dalrymple Oral History Interview - August 28, 2013 - Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Oregon State University Libraries. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2015.</p>
<p>McLean v. Arkansas Documentation Project. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2015.http://www.antievolution.org/projects/mclean/new_site/pf_trans/mva_tt_p_...
<p>McLean v. Arkansas. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2015.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLean_v._Arkansas</p>
<p>Oregon State University College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2015.</p>