SSP3.1 Advances in Comparative Sedimentology of Carbonates: A Tribute to the Career of Robert Ginsburg |
Convener: Peter Swart | Co-Conveners: Paul Carling , Judith A. McKenzie , Stephen Lokier , Marco Brandano , Ola Kwiecien , Emilia Jarochowska |
Bob Ginsburg, who died recently at the age of 93, was a transformational geologist who studied carbonate sediments, their genesis, deposition, and transformation into mature rocks. He not only defined the profession of carbonate sedimentology and was one of the most influential thinkers in his field, but he pioneered the concept of comparative sedimentology, applicable to carbonates, siliciclastics, and evaporites alike. One of Bob’s most impressive contributions to geology was his ability to ask the “So what?” question. A field trip with Bob was not merely descriptive, but interrogative. “What do you suppose this is?” “Umm…” “Do you suppose that…?” “What does this tell us?” . Irritating as his questions often were, it would force one to reexamine the rationale for performing an experiment and delve deeper into its significance. During his career, he continued to test the validity of the comparative approach to improve our understanding of geologic processes by integrating research in sedimentology, stratigraphy, geochemistry and geophysics. The proposed session invites contributions from all branches of sedimentary geology to celebrate the life of Robert Nathan Ginsburg. We especially invite contributions exploring the comparative sedimentology approach; how it has been applied and its future applications with new directions and innovative technologies.