SESE professor honored as the 2008 Ralph Alger Bagnold Medalist

Ralph Alger Bagnold (UK, 1896-1990) was a soldier, explorer and scientist. Although many people may not be familiar with his name, Bagnold's fundamental work on the physics of sediment transport in air and water and the dynamics of bedforms continues to serve as a framework for modern studies of processes shaping the surface of planets. Because of his influential and long-lasting body of work on Earth surface processes, Bagnold was named a member of the Royal Society, in addition to a number of other recognitions and awards.

The Geomorphology Division of the European Geosciences Union established the Bagnold medal in commemoration of his scientific achievements. The award is reserved for individuals in recognition of their outstanding scientific contribution to the study of geomorphology. This year's EGU Ralph Alger Bagnold Medalist is Kelin Whipple, a professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University.

Whipple was selected for his outstanding contributions to the understanding of how climate, tectonics, and surface processes interact in the sculpting of the Earth's surface. His most outstanding contributions have been in deepening our understanding of landform evolution in active tectonic settings, examining the interactions of climate, tectonics, and the mechanics of river incision into bedrock, and their impact on sculpting of the Earth's surface, particularly in mountainous areas.

"My work shows how the interaction of tectonics and river incision influences the morphology of mountain regions," explains Whipple. Initially, his work focused mainly on steady state models of uniform incision and supply limited removal, but his work has now expanded to consider the constraints of transporting capacity and grain size changes through the system.

Whipple holds a B.A. in Geology from the University of California at Berkeley, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of Washington. He spent a year as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the St. Anthony Falls Hydraulic Lab at the University of Minnesota then took a faculty position in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1995. He joined the School of Earth and Space Exploration at ASU in 2006.

Nikki Staab (April 2008)