Edward A Mankinen
Ed is a Scientist Emeritus with the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center in Menlo Park, CA. He joined the USGS in 1964, retired in 2010, and returned as Emeritus in 2011. His career and current work focus in paleomagnetism/rock magnetism and conducting and interpreting gravity and aeromagnetic surveys through the Geophysical Unit of Menlo Park (GUMP).
For most of Edward Mankinen's 47-year career, he was associated with the Menlo Park Rock Magnetic Laboratory conducting various research projects in paleomagnetism/rock magnetism. Most of these studies were concentrated in the western U.S. but also included field work in Alaska, the Hawaiian Islands, and Antarctica. Beginning in 1996, Ed also became associated with the Geophysical Unit of Menlo Park (GUMP) and began conducting and interpreting gravity and aeromagnetic surveys. Most of these studies were conducted in and around the Nevada Test Site and in the eastern Great Basin. As an emeritus, he has continued work on projects in both disciplines.
Professional Experience
2011 - present, Emeritus Research Geologist, GMEG Science Center
2006 - 2008, Chief, Geophysical Unit of Menlo Park (GUMP)
1988 - 1992, Chief, Paleomagnetism—Menlo Park Project
1969 - 2010, Research Geologist, Branches of: Theoretical Geophysics, Theoretical & Applied Geophysics, Petrophysics & Remote Sensing, and Isotope Geology; now with the GMEG Science Center, all USGS, Menlo Park, CA
1965 - 1969, Laboratory manager, Rock Magnetic Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA
1964 - 1965, Physical Science Technician, USGS, Menlo Park, CA
Education and Certifications
M.S., Geology, San Jose State College, 1971
B.S., Geology, San Jose State College, 1963
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Geophysical Union
Geological Society of America
Honors and Awards
2004, 2005, 2006 - USGS Star Awards
1972 - USGS Quality Increase
1970 - Department of Interior Antarctic Service Award
1970 - Congressional Antarctic Medal
Science and Products
Preliminary geomagnetic paleointensities from Long Valley Caldera, California
Latest Pleistocene and Holocene geomagnetic paleointensity on Hawaii
Broad trends in geomagnetic paleointensity on Hawaii during Holocene time
Latest pleistocene and holocene geomagnetic paleointensity on Hawaii
Low intensity of the geomagnetic field in early Jurassic time
Concordant paleolatitudes from ophiolite sequences in the northern California Coast Ranges, U.S.A.
Review of paleomagnetic data from the Klamath Mountains, Blue Mountains, and Sierra Nevada; Implications for paleogeographic reconstructions
Paleomagnetic study of the Eastern Klamath terrane, California, and implications for the tectonic history of the Klamath Mountains Province
Revised paleomagnetic pole for the Sonoma Volcanics, California
Paleomagnetic investigation of some volcanic rocks from the McMurdo volcanic province, Antarctica
Paleomagnetic results from the Shasta Bally Plutonic Belt in the Klamath Mountains Province, northern California
The Steens Mountain (Oregon) geomagnetic polarity transition: 3. Its regional significance
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 75
Preliminary geomagnetic paleointensities from Long Valley Caldera, California
Paleointensities are being determined in order to characterize geomagnetic intensity variations during Quaternary time. Because the geomagnetic field acts as a shield against cosmic radiation, its intensity directly affects the production rate of radiocarbon (^C) in the upper atmosphere. Coe and others (1978) showed that the variation in dipole moment during Holocene time is nearly proportional toAuthorsEdward A. MankinenLatest Pleistocene and Holocene geomagnetic paleointensity on Hawaii
Geomagnetic paleointensity determinations from radiocarbon-dated lava flows on the island of Hawaii provide an estimate of broad trends in paleointensity for Holocene time and offer a glimpse of intensity variations near the end of the last glacial period. When the data from Hawaii are compared with others worldwide, the intensity of the geomagnetic field seems to have been reduced from the HoloceAuthorsEdward A. Mankinen, Duane E. ChampionBroad trends in geomagnetic paleointensity on Hawaii during Holocene time
Paleointensity determinations have been obtained from 22 basaltic lava flows on the island of Hawaii using the Thelliers' method. Radiocarbon dating indicates that these flows erupted at intervals ranging from about 200 to 1000 years, and results of the experiments provide an estimate of broad trends in geomagnetic paleointensity during Holocene time in the vicinity of Hawaii. Most of the samplesAuthorsEdward A. Mankinen, Duane E. ChampionLatest pleistocene and holocene geomagnetic paleointensity on Hawaii
Geomagnetic paleointensity determinations from radiocarbon-dated lava flows on the island of Hawaii provide an estimate of broad trends in paleointensity for Holocene time and offer a glimpse of intensity variations near the end of the last glacial period. When the data from Hawaii are compared with others worldwide, the intensity of the gemagnetic field seems to have been reduced from the HolocenAuthorsE. A. Mankinen, D. E. ChampionLow intensity of the geomagnetic field in early Jurassic time
From a large collection of Jurassic continental tholeiites cropping out in Europe and Africa, we selected 90 samples for paleointensity determinations. Twenty-eight well-clustered paleointensity estimates were obtained from two European dikes that were emplaced during Early Jurassic time: the Kerforne dike at Brenterc'h in Brittany (northwestern France) and the Messejana dike on the Iberian PeninsAuthorsM. Perrin, M. Prevot, E. A. MankinenConcordant paleolatitudes from ophiolite sequences in the northern California Coast Ranges, U.S.A.
Paleomagnetic data have been obtained from two ophiolite sequences in the northern California Coast Ranges: from Mount Diablo in the San Francisco Bay area and from Potter Valley, north of Clear Lake. The ophiolite exposed at Mount Diablo is part of the late Middle to Late Jurassic Coast Range ophiolite, and that exposed near Potter Valley is Late Jurassic to perhaps Early Cretaceous in age and ocAuthorsE. A. Mankinen, C. S. Grommé, K.M. WilliamsReview of paleomagnetic data from the Klamath Mountains, Blue Mountains, and Sierra Nevada; Implications for paleogeographic reconstructions
Paleomagnetic studies of the Klamath Mountains, Blue Mountains, Sierra Nevada, and northwestern Nevada pertain mostly to Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks, but some data also are available for Permian and Triassic rocks of the region. Large vertical-axis rotations are indicated for rocks in many of the terranes, but few studies show statistically significant latitudinal displacements. The most completAuthorsEdward A. Mankinen, William P. IrwinPaleomagnetic study of the Eastern Klamath terrane, California, and implications for the tectonic history of the Klamath Mountains Province
Paleomagnetic study of Permian through Jurassic volcanic and sedimentary strata of the Eastern Klamath terrane has shown the remanent magnetization of many of these rocks to be prefolding and most likely primary. Similarities in magnetic declinations recorded by coeval strata over a broad area are consistent with the hypothesis that the terrane, in general, has behaved as a single rigid block. PalAuthorsEdward A. Mankinen, William P. Irwin, C. Sherman GromméRevised paleomagnetic pole for the Sonoma Volcanics, California
Paleomagnetic sampling of the Miocene and Pliocene Sonoma Volcanics, northern California, was undertaken to supplement an earlier collection. Data from 25 cooling units yield positive fold and reversal tests, and a paleomagnetic pole located at 80.2°N., 069.2°E., with α95 = 6.8°. This paleopole is significantly displaced (9.6° ± 5.3° of latitude) to the farside of the geographic pole. A highly ellAuthorsE. A. MankinenPaleomagnetic investigation of some volcanic rocks from the McMurdo volcanic province, Antarctica
Paleomagnetic data for lava flows from sporadic but long-lived eruptions in the McMurdo Sound region are combined with previously published geologic and geochronologic data to determine the general eruptive sequence of the area. Lava flows in the Walcott Bay area were erupted during the Gauss Normal, Matuyama Reversed, and Brunhes Normal Polarity Chrons. The youngest flows on Black Island probablyAuthorsE. A. Mankinen, A. CoxPaleomagnetic results from the Shasta Bally Plutonic Belt in the Klamath Mountains Province, northern California
Available paleomagnetic data show approximately 100° of clockwise rotation for Permian and Triassic strata of the Eastern Klamath terrane. Jurassic strata of this terrane are rotated approximately 60° clockwise, which is comparable to rotations reported for Jurassic plutons that occur elsewhere in the Klamath Mountains province. Paleomagnetic data obtained during the present study from the ShastaAuthorsEdward A. Mankinen, William P. Irwin, C. Sherman GromméThe Steens Mountain (Oregon) geomagnetic polarity transition: 3. Its regional significance
Study of the variations of direction and intensity of the geomagnetic field as recorded by the Miocene lava flows on Steens Mountain, southeastern Oregon, has resulted in a detailed description of total field behavior during a reversal in polarity. In addition to information about the polarity reversal itself, the detailed paleomagnetic record includes several thousand years of geomagnetic historyAuthorsE. A. Mankinen, E.E. Larson, C. S. Grommé, M. Prevot, R. S. Coe
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government