Memorial to Norman L. Hatch, Jr. 1932-1991 - …...MEMORIAL TO NORMAN L. HATCH, JR. 5 consternation...

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ROLFE STANLEY University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405 DOUGLAS RANKIN U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 22092 DAVID HARWOOD U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025 NICHOLAS RATCLIFFE U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 22092 On Saturday, November 30, 1991, Norman L. Hatch, Jr., died in Dana Farber Hospital from complications of pri- mary brain lymphoma after a five-year battle. With the exception of the last few months, he continued his work with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) where his vigorous career included 30 productive years of contri- butions to the scientific community. Born in 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts, Norman attended Phillips Exeter Academy (1945-1949), where his father taught Latin and Greek, a heritage that served Norm well in his professional career. After spending several years in the U.S. Army and in the woods of New Hamp- shire, he graduated from Harvard University in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a goal to be a geologist. He continued his graduate education at Harvard Uni- versity where he received his master’s degree in 1958 and his Ph.D. in 1961. His thesis work in the complexly deformed metamorphic rocks of the Dixville 15-minute quadrangle tied together the “type” New Hampshire section determined by Marland P. Billings in Littleton, New Hamp- shire, with the then recently completed work in southeastern Quebec by R. A. Marleau and in northwestern Maine by A. J. Boucot. This experience and the influence of Billings and J. B. Thompson, Jr., essentially defined Norm’s course for much of his professional career. In June 1961, Norm was hired by the USGS to do 1:24,000-scale quadrangle mapping in southeastern Kentucky as part of a statewide cooperative mapping program between the USGS and the Kentucky Geological Survey. Although a study of flat-lying, sedimentary rocks was not what he thought he was educated to do, the mapping of facies relations in the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian clastic sedimentary rocks helped to shape his enduring interest in the stratigraphy and sedimentary facies relations in metamorphic terranes. Thus began a long career with the USGS. In June 1963, Norm was transferred to work in Massachusetts, where he was to spend much of the next 15 years mapping and compiling the Late Proterozoic through Devonian geol- ogy between the Berkshire massif and the Mesozoic basin of central Massachusetts. His work resulted in a number of substantive publications on the stratigraphic correlations and tectonic history of a multiply deformed and metamorphosed belt that is now recognized as representing the Taconian accretionary wedge and the younger Acadian architecture of western New Eng- land. Norm’s work as a field geologist was critical to the compilation and publication of the Memorial to Norman L. Hatch, Jr. 1932-1991 3

Transcript of Memorial to Norman L. Hatch, Jr. 1932-1991 - …...MEMORIAL TO NORMAN L. HATCH, JR. 5 consternation...

Page 1: Memorial to Norman L. Hatch, Jr. 1932-1991 - …...MEMORIAL TO NORMAN L. HATCH, JR. 5 consternation of his shorter colleagues, his long legs carried him easily through the New Eng

R O LFE STA N LEY University o f Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405

D O U G LA S R A N K IN U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 22092

D AV ID H A R W O O D U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025

N IC H O LA S R A T C LIFFE U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 22092

On Saturday, November 30, 1991, Norman L. Hatch, Jr., died in Dana Farber Hospital from complications o f pri­mary brain lymphoma after a five-year battle. W ith the exception o f the last few months, he continued his work with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) where his vigorous career included 30 productive years of contri­butions to the scientific community.

B orn in 1932 in B oston, M assachusetts, N orm an attended Phillips Exeter Academy (1945-1949), where his father taught Latin and Greek, a heritage that served Norm w ell in his professional career. A fter spending several years in the U.S. Army and in the woods of New Hamp­shire, he graduated from Harvard University in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a goal to be a geologist.

He continued his graduate education at Harvard Uni­versity where he received his master’s degree in 1958 and his Ph.D. in 1961. His thesis work in the complexly deformed metamorphic rocks of the Dixville 15-minute quadrangle tied together the “type” New Hampshire section determined by Marland P. Billings in Littleton, New Hamp­shire, with the then recently completed work in southeastern Quebec by R. A. Marleau and in northwestern Maine by A. J. Boucot. This experience and the influence of Billings and J. B. Thompson, Jr., essentially defined Norm’s course for much of his professional career.

In June 1961, Norm was hired by the USGS to do 1:24,000-scale quadrangle mapping in southeastern Kentucky as part of a statewide cooperative mapping program between the USGS and the Kentucky Geological Survey. Although a study of flat-lying, sedimentary rocks was not what he thought he was educated to do, the mapping of facies relations in the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian clastic sedimentary rocks helped to shape his enduring interest in the stratigraphy and sedimentary facies relations in metamorphic terranes. Thus began a long career with the USGS.

In June 1963, Norm was transferred to work in Massachusetts, where he was to spend much of the next 15 years mapping and compiling the Late Proterozoic through Devonian geol­ogy between the Berkshire massif and the Mesozoic basin of central Massachusetts. His work resulted in a number of substantive publications on the stratigraphic correlations and tectonic history o f a multiply deformed and metamorphosed belt that is now recognized as representing the Taconian accretionary wedge and the younger Acadian architecture of western New Eng­land. N orm ’s work as a field geologist was critical to the compilation and publication of the

Memorial to Norman L. Hatch, Jr.1932-1991

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bedrock geological map of Massachusetts in 1983. Subsequently, he took on the enormous task of editing and being the major contributor to USGS Professional Paper 1366, which describes and synthesizes the geology of Massachusetts.

From 1970 to 1973 Norm’s activities in western Massachusetts were substantially reduced when he became chief of the technical reports unit of the USGS, a unit responsible for the edit­ing of all publications of the Geological Division in the east. His talents for organization and leadership were soon recognized. As a result he was selected as chief for the Branch of Eastern Environmental Geology (now Eastern Regional Geology) in 1973, a position he held until 1978. During this time he was the supervisor of more than 100 people, about half of whom are full­time research geologists and, with them, was responsible for planning and implementing all regional mapping and related projects east of the Mississippi River.

Among Norm’s accomplishments as branch chief were to greatly increase the branch’s pro­fessional staff with expertise in soft-rock geology and to initiate an in-house capability for shal­low-core drilling. He also organized the diverse group, led by E-an Zen, that eventually pro­duced the bedrock geological map of Massachusetts and successfully brought to a close a cooperative mapping program with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that had been initiated in 1939.

In 1978 Norm was at last able to return to the field. Plate tectonics had exploded on the sci­entific scene during Norm’s administrative tenure, and he felt that he had much to catch up on if his work was to be focused on critical questions of the day. He selected the Lewiston 2° x 2° area of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. This region, encompassing approximately 6500 square miles, extends from the Connecticut Valley-Gaspi trough on the west to the Central Maine trough on the east and was an important segment of a regional cross section for northern New England. This work not only accomplished this goal, but it completely redefined the stratigraphy of the Central Maine trough in New Hampshire. The bedrock mapping of the Lewiston quadrangle was incorporated into the Conterminous United States Mineral Appraisal Project (CUSMAP) of the larger Lewiston and Sherbrooke 2° x 2° area, which involved numer­ous workers. The results of this study are still in preparation.

Norm’s last major project was the Connecticut Valley trough in Vermont that contains an extensive sequence of metasedimentary turbidites of Silurian and Early Devonian age, which were deposited on the eroded basement of the Taconic orogen. Although these rocks were extensively deformed and metamorphosed to grades as high as kyanite and sillimanite-ortho- clase during the Acadian orogeny, Norm focused on the sedimentary relations so that he could understand the depositional framework of the continental margin during that time of Appa­lachian history. This work led to several important papers that revised the understanding of the stratigraphic and structural relations of the Connecticut Valley trough. Although his efforts dur­ing this time will provide the basis for future work in this region, Norm was unable to reap fully the benefits of this substantive foundation because of his health. His spirit and motivation, how­ever, encouraged others to look to this region as a source for meaningful work in the future.

Norman Hatch’s career was marked by honors and professional responsibilities outside the U.S. Geological Survey. He was elected to fellowship of the Geological Society of America in 1967. He was chair of the Northeastern Section of the Geological Society of America during 1975-1976. He served as president of the Geological Society of Washington in 1985 and was an adjunct professor of geology at the University of Vermont from 1978 to his death. In 1989, he received the Meritorious Service Award from the Department of the Interior for his outstanding scientific leadership and contributions to the regional geology and tectonics of the northeastern United States.

Clearly, Norm was a dedicated field geologist. For him, geology meant earth history, and the way to study it was to map and to analyze the relations of rocks in the field. Much to the

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consternation of his shorter colleagues, his long legs carried him easily through the New Eng­land woods and over its high peaks, which he loved so dearly. His sense of humor, colorful style of expression, and philosophical insight into local and world problems made many a hot, buggy day delightful as well as productive. He was a somewhat reluctant resident of the Washington, D.C., area; he longed for the simpler, frugal life in rural New England, where he could walk in the woods with his family at their summer home in Conway, New Hampshire, or spend an enjoyable but fruitful day in the field with his colleagues.

On a personal level, Norm was a gem. He was always willing to talk to anyone or to listen to the troubles of a friend. His conversations were without pretense. Norm never tried to impress anyone, but his conversations, although sometimes quite lengthy, were golden because at the end, one carried away a clearer view of the problem and its potential solutions. He had a wealth of common sense that was invaluable in resolving problems. To those who knew him closely, it was Norm’s integrity and honesty that made him so valuable as a friend—a friend whose coun­cil and advice we could seek and get without reservation or judgment. Norm was a steadying influence in the evolution of geological ideas in New England geology. He wanted to be shown the evidence in the field for new interpretations. He had an abiding faith that two reasonable geologists looking together in the field at the same outcrops could come to some kind of agree­ment in their respective interpretations or at least leave with a mutual respect for each other’s opinions.

Although his frugality sometimes appeared excessive to some, it was commonly humorous to many. For example, Norm loved beer, although in moderation. He was a connoisseur of “cheap beer” because for him “there was no such thing as a bad beer,” although he did admit after a short, but well-timed pause, “of course some beer is better than other beer.” One of the tragedies of the last years of Norm’s life was that he had to give up beer. It was also a measure of his character that he did so absolutely. How well we remember his 1957 Chevy station wagon, Bessie, which provided transportation far beyond its reasonable longevity for many Sur­vey personnel whose tetanus shots were up-to-date. We could, of course, go on with further sto­ries, but the bottom line is that Norman Hatch will be deeply missed by his associates and his friends.

This memorial would not be complete if it did not acknowledge the importance of his wife of 34 years, Sally, and his daughter Kirstin Morgan and son Andrew, who were a major joy and focus of his life. Sally and Norm formed a strong unit, with each drawing upon the other’s strengths and energy. During the last five years, Sally’s strength, determination, and leadership in the maze of medical treatment enabled Norm to live longer and more comfortably than he would have without her help.

SELECTED BIBLIO G R A PH Y OF N. L. HATCH, JR .

1963 Geology of the Dixville quadrangle, New Hampshire: New Hampshire Department of Economic Resources and Development, Bulletin 1,81 p., map scale 1:62,500.

1966 (and Chidester, A. H., Osberg, P. H., and Norton, S. A.) Redefinition of the Rowe Schist in northwestern Massachusetts, in Cohee, G. V., and West, W. S., eds., Changes in strati- graphic nomenclature by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1965: U.S. Geological Survey Bul­letin 1244-A, p. A33-A35.

1967 Redefinition of the Hawley and Goshen Schists in western Massachusetts: U.S. Geologi­cal Survey Bulletin 1254-D, p. 16.

------ (and Osberg, P. H., and Norton, S. A.) Stratigraphy and structure of the east limb of theBerkshire anticlinorium, in Robinson, P., ed., Guidebook for field trips in the Connecticut

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Valley of Massachusetts: Amherst, Massachusetts, New England Intercollegiate Geologic Conference, 59th Annual Meeting, p. 7-16.

1968 Isoclinal folding indicated by primary sedimentary structures in western Massachusetts, in Geological Survey Research 1968: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 600-D, p. D108-D114.

------ (and Schnabel, R. W., and Norton, S. A.) Stratigraphy and correlation of the rocks on theeast limb of the Berkshire anticlinorium in western Massachusetts and north-central Con­necticut, in Zen, E-an, White, W. S., Hadley, J. B., and Thompson, J. B., Jr., eds., Studies of Appalachian geology: Northern and maritime: New York, Interscience Publishers, p. 177-184.

1970 (and Stanley, R. S., and Clark, S. F., Jr.) The Russell Mountain Formation, a new strati- graphic unit in western Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1324-B, 10 p.

1971 (with Kane, M. F., and Harwood, D. S.) Continuous magnetic profiles near ground level as a means of discriminating and correlating rock units: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 82, p. 2449-2456.

1973 (and Stanley, R. S.) Some suggested stratigraphic relations in part of southwestern New England: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1380, 83 p., 2 pi.

1975 Tectonic, metamorphic, and intrusive history of part of the east side of the Berkshire Massif, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 888-D, p. 51-62.

------ (and Stanley, R. S.) Proposed Silurian Devonian correlations east of the Berkshire Massifin western Massachusetts and Connecticut, in Ratcliffe, N. M., ed., Guidebook for field trips in western Massachusetts, northern Connecticut and adjacent areas of New York: New York, New England Intercollegiate Geologic Conference, 67th Annual Meeting, p. 144-165.

1976 (with Boudette, E. L., and Harwood, D. S.) Reconnaissance geology of the upper St. John and Allagash River basins, Maine: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1406, 37 p., 2 pi.

------ (with Stanley, R. S.) Discussion of papers by Schnabel, Gates and Martin, and Hall, inPage, L. R., ed., Contributions to the stratigraphy of New England: Geological Society of America Memoir 148, p. 351-356.

1979 (with Ratcliffe, N. M.) A traverse across the Taconide zone in the area of the Berkshire massif, western Massachusetts, in Skehan, J. W., S. J., and Osberg, P. H., eds., The Caledonides in the USA: Geological excursions in the northeast Appalachians: Weston, Massachusetts, Weston Observatory, Contributions to IGCP Project 27, p. 175-224.

1980 (and Osberg, P. H., Norton, S. A., Stanley, R. S., and Chidester, A. H.) The structural and metamorphic history of the Taconic unconformity in western Massachusetts: Discussion: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 17, p. 542-545.

------ (with Stanley, R. S., and Knapp, D. A.) Redefinition of the Cobble Mountain Formationin southwestern Massachusetts, in Sohl, N. F., and Wright, W. B., eds., Changes in strati­graphic nomenclature by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1979: U.S. Geological Survey Bul­letin 1502-A, p. A127-A132.

1982 The Taconic line in western New England and its implications to Paleozoic tectonic his­tory, in St-Julien, P. and Beland, J., eds., Major structural zones and faults of the northern Appalachians: Geological Association of Canada Special Paper 24, p. 67-85.

1983 (with Harris, A. G., and Dutro, J. T., Jr.) Late Silurian conodonts update the metamor­phosed Fitch Formation, Littleton area, New Hampshire: American Journal of Science, v. 283, p. 722-738.

------ and Shride, A. F., Weed, E.G.A., and Wones, D. R., assisting Goldsmith, Richard, et al.,compilers, (Zen, E-an, editor), Bedrock geologic map of Massachusetts: Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey, scale 1:250,000.

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------ (and Moench, R. H., and Lyons, J. B.) Silurian-Lower Devonian stratigraphy of easternand south-central New Hampshire: Extensions from western Maine: American Journal of Science, v. 283, p. 739-761.

1984 (and Zen, E-an, Goldsmith, R., Ratcliffe, N. M., Robinson, P., Stanley R. S., and Wones,D. R.) Lithotectonic assemblages as portrayed on the new bedrock map of Massachusetts: American Journal of Science, v. 284, p. 1026-1034.

1985 (and Zen, E-an, Goldsmith, R., Ratcliffe, N. M., Robinson, Peter, and Stanley, R. S.) Reply to discussion by R. S. Naylor of Hatch and others, 1984: American Journal of Science, v. 285, p. 572-575.

1986 (and Wall, E. R.) Stratigraphy and metamorphism of the Silurian and Lower Devonian rocks of the western part of the Merrimack synclinorium, Pinkham Notch area, east- central New Hampshire, in Newberg, D. W., ed., Guidebook for field trips in southwest­ern Maine (New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference, 78th Annual Meeting, Lewiston): Lewiston, Maine, Bates College Department of Geology, p. 138-163.

1987 (and Stanley, R. S.) The Rowe Schist and associated ultramafic rocks along the Taconian suture in western Massachusetts, in Roy, D. C., ed., Northeastern section of the Geologi­cal Society of America: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America, Centennial Field Guide, v. 5, p. 201-204.

------Lithofacies, stratigraphy, and structure in the rocks of the Connecticut Valley trough, east­ern Vermont, in Westerman, D. S., ed., Guidebook for field trips in Vermont, Volume 2, New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference, 79th Annual Meeting, Montpelier: Northfield, Vermont, Norwich University, Trip B-3, p. 192-212.

1988 New evidence for faulting along the “Monroe line”, eastern Vermont and Westernmost New Hampshire: American Journal of Science, v. 288, p. 1-18.

------Preface to Chapters A through D of “The bedrock geology of Massachusetts”: U.S. Geo­logical Survey Professional Paper 1366, p. iii-v.

------ (with Stanley, R. S.) A. The pre-Silurian geology of the Rowe-Hawley zone, in Hatch,N. L., Jr., ed., The bedrock geology of Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Profes­sional Paper 1366, P. A1-A39.

------ (and Robinson, Peter, and Stanley, R. S.) Stratigraphy of the Connecticut Valley belt,in Hatch, N. L., Jr., ed., The bedrock geology of Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1366, p. B1-B34.

------ (and Stanley, R. S.) Post-Taconian structural geology of the Rowe-Hawley zone and theConnecticut Valley belt west of the Mesozoic basins, in Hatch, N. L., Jr., ed., U.S. Geo­logical Survey Professional Paper 1366, p. C1-C36.

------ (with Robinson, Peter, and Stanley, R. S.) The Whately thrust: A structural solution to thestratigraphic dilemma of the Erving Formation, in Hatch, N. L., Jr., ed., The bedrock geol­ogy of Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1366, p. D1-D22.

------Some revisions to the stratigraphy and structure of the Connecticut Valley trough, easternVermont: American Journal of Science, v. 288, p. 1041-1059.

1989 Day 3—The Connecticut Valley trough, in Lyons, J. B., and Bothner, W. A., A transect through the New England Appalachians (Field Trip Guidebook T162,28th International Geological Congress): Washington, D.C., American Geophysical Union, p. 39-43.

1990 (with Hueber, F. M., Bothner, W. A., Finney, S. C., and Aleinikoff, J. N.) Devonian plants from southern Quebec and northern New Hampshire and the age of the Connecticut Val­ley trough: American Journal of Science, v. 290, p. 360-395.

Note: Norman Hatch was also the author or coauthor of 18 USGS quadrangle maps.

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