As a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Dr. Moore has conducted pioneering research in the Sierra Nevada, Hawaii, the Philippines, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Mount St. Helens, Surtsey, and Lake Tahoe.
He mapped the geology of the southern Sierra Nevada in California including Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and recognized a zonation of batholiths named the Quartz Diorite Line. The work revealed a major fracture system filled with igneous rock, the Independence Dike Swarm, which proved to be the key to dividing Sierran granites into two major age groups. The work also led to a model for the origin of orbicular granite and comb layering and defined the origin of giant K-feldspar crystals found in granodiorite plutons.
In 1961 he was posted as Scientist-In-Charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. He was first to recognize two giant submarine landslides on the flanks of the Hawaiian Ridge, and in 1962 served as Chief Scientist on the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Ship Pioneer, when some of the first ocean-floor photographs were taken of pillow lava. Analyses of this fresh lava quenched under pressure produced unique data on the initial gas content of magma. In the early 1970s he made the first scuba dives on active lava flows off Kilauea Volcano and documented the origin of pillow lava. In 1974 he participated in the FAMOUS project, a joint French-American diving program on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and completed six 9000-ft-deep dives in the submersible Alvin to map and sample young lavas. During the late 1980s he participated in the GLORIA project using sonar to map the Hawaiian Exclusive Economic Zone, which revealed several dozen massive submarine landslides on the Hawaiian Ridge. In 1995 he conducted similar sub-aqueous investigations of Lake Tahoe to determine the nature, age, and effects of a giant landslide in the lake basin.
In 1965 he was posted by President Johnson to work with Philippine scientists on the tragic explosive eruption of Taal Volcano, where giant dunes around the vent led to the concept of pyroclastic Base Surges. He also studied the ongoing 1968 explosive eruption of Mayon Volcano in the Philippines, measuring the velocity of hot block-and-ash avalanches. During 1979 he helped drill Surtsey volcano, which had grown offshore from Iceland in 1963-1967. The core revealed the nature of secondary hydrothermal minerals and that the volcano is underlain by two diatremes which extend far below the pre-volcanic ocean floor. He helped promote a 2017 redrilling of Surtsey Volcano, in which the results supported the diatreme hypothesis. In a 1999 Hawaiian drilling program, he studied core from a 3-km-deep drill hole on Mauna Loa, which showed the transition from subaerial- to submarine-erupted lava and established the degree of volcano subsidence.
During the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, he measured the ongoing deformation of the volcano; afterward, he used photographs and military satellite images to define the exact timing of the May 18 events, determined the landslide volume, measured and described ash deposits, analyzed the formation of the eruption cloud, and mapped the first series of domes to fill the crater.
Professional Experience
Chief, Branch of Field Geochemistry and Petrology, U.S. Geological Survey
Scientist in Charge, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, U.S. Geological Survey
Education and Certifications
BS Geology, Stanford Uiversity, 1951
MS Geology, University of Washington, 1952
PhD Geology, Johns Hopkins University, 1955
Affiliations and Memberships*
Geological Society of America (GSA)
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Honors and Awards
U.S. Department of the Interior Distinguished Service Award, 2002
Geological Society of America Penrose Medal, 2020
Abstracts and Presentations
Ballard, R. D and J. G. Moore, 1977 Photographic Atlas of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge Rift Valley: Springer-Verlag, New York, Berlin, 114 p.
Moore, J. G., 2000, Exploring the Highest Sierra: Stanford University Press, 448 p, 180 illus.
Moore, J. G., 2006, King of the 40th Parallel, Discovery in the American West: Stanford University Press, 348 p.
Moore, J. G. and L. Tepley, 1974, Fire Under the Sea, the Origin of Pillow Lava: Moonlight Productions, 16 mm film, 20 min. Mountain View, CA.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 75
Observations on the structure of Surtsey
Comparison of investigations of the 1979 and 2017 cored boreholes coupled with continued observations of the dynamic surface of Surtsey has modified our concepts of the subsurface structure of the volcano. A geometrical analysis of the 2017 vertical and inclined cores indicates that near-surface layering dips westerly, indicating that the boreholes are located inside the Surtur crater. In subaeria
Authors
James G. Moore, Marie D. Jackson
Authigenic mineral texture in submarine 1979 basalt drill core, Surtsey volcano, Iceland
Micrometer-scale maps of authigenic microstructures in submarine basaltic tuff specimens from a 1979 Surtsey volcano, Iceland, drill core acquired 15 years after eruptions terminated provide fresh perspectives for deciphering the initial alteration of oceanic basalt in a low temperature hydrothermal system. A novel investigative approach integrates synchrotron source X-ray microdiffraction (µXRD),
Authors
M.D. Jackson, S. Couper, S.V. Stan, M. Ivarsson, M.W. Czabaj, N. Tamura, D. Parkinson, L.M. Miyagi, James G. Moore
SUSTAIN drilling at Surtsey volcano, Iceland, tracks hydrothermal and microbiological interactions in basalt 50 years after eruption
The 2017 Surtsey Underwater volcanic System for Thermophiles, Alteration processes and INnovative concretes (SUSTAIN) drilling project at Surtsey volcano, sponsored in part by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), provides precise observations of the hydrothermal, geochemical, geomagnetic, and microbiological changes that have occurred in basaltic tephra and minor intru
Authors
M.D. Jackson, M.T. Gudmundsson, T.B. Weisenberger, J.M. Rhodes, A. Stefánsson, B. Kleine, P.C. Lippert, J.M. Marquardt, H.I. Reynolds, J. Kück, V.Þ. Marteinsson, P. Vannier, W. Bach, A. Barich, P. Bergsten, J. G. Bryce, P. Cappelletti, S. Couper, M.F. Fahnestock, C. Gorny, C. Grimaldi, M. Groh, Á. Guðmundsson, Á.Þ. Gunnlaugsson, C. Hamlin, Þ. Högnadóttir, K. Jónasson, S.S. Jónsson, S.L. Jørgensen, A. Klonowski, B.V. Marshall, J. McPhie, James G. Moore, E.S. Ólafsson, S.L. Onstag, V. Perez, S. Prause, S.P. Snorasson, A. Türke, J.D.L. White, B. Zimanowski
Mini-columns and ghost columns in Columbia river lava
The master joints bounding the columns that make up the basal colonnade of large lava flows of the Columbia Plateau are, in places, flanked by sub-horizontal mini-columns that have grown normal to the master joints. The secondary mini-columns grow into the main columns and are clearly younger than them. They are small adjacent to the master joint, but merge together and thicken away from the fract
Authors
James G. Moore
Pleistocene volcanism and shifting shorelines at Lake Tahoe, California
In the northwestern Lake Tahoe Basin, Pleistocene basaltic and trachyandesitic lavas form a small volcanic field comprising ∼1 km3 of lava that erupted from seven vents. Most of these lavas erupted subaerially and produced lava flows. However, where they flowed into an early Lake Tahoe (Proto-Tahoe), they produced deltas consisting of hydrovolcanic breccias as well as pillow lavas draped downslope
Authors
Winifred Kortemeier, Andrew T. Calvert, James G. Moore, Richard Schweickert
The saltiest springs in the Sierra Nevada, California
The five saltiest springs in the Sierra Nevada in California are found between 38.5° and 38.8° N. latitude, on the South Fork American River; on Caples Creek, a tributary of the Silver Fork American River; and on the North Fork Mokelumne River. The springs issue from Cretaceous granitic rocks in the bottoms of these major canyons, between 1,200- and 2,200-m elevation. All of these springs were wel
Authors
James G. Moore, Michael F. Diggles, William C. Evans, Karin Klemic
Concentration and retention of Toxoplasma gondii surrogates from seawater by red abalone (Haliotis rufescens)
Small marine snails and abalone have been identified as high- and low-risk prey items, respectively, for exposure of threatened southern sea otters to Toxoplasma gondii, a zoonotic parasite that can cause fatal encephalitis in animals and humans. While recent work has characterized snails as paratenic hosts for T. gondii, the ability of abalone to vector the parasite has not been evaluated. To fur
Authors
Kristen C Schott, Colin Krusor, M. Tim Tinker, James G. Moore, Patricia A. Conrad, Karen Shapiro
Tsunami-generated sediment wave channels at Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada, USA
A gigantic ∼12 km3 landslide detached from the west wall of Lake Tahoe (California-Nevada, USA), and slid 15 km east across the lake. The splash, or tsunami, from this landslide eroded Tioga-age moraines dated as 21 ka. Lake-bottom short piston cores recovered sediment as old as 12 ka that did not reach landslide deposits, thereby constraining the landslide age as 21–12 ka.Movement of the landslid
Authors
James G. Moore, Richard A. Schweickert, Christopher A. Kitts
Rangewide glaciation in the Sierra Nevada, California
The 600-km-long Sierra Nevada underwent extensive Pleistocene glaciation except for its southernmost 100 km. Presently, ∼1700 small glaciers and ice masses near the crest of the range occur above 3250 m in elevation; these covered an area of ∼50 km2 in 1972. Fourteen of the largest glaciers decreased by about one half in area during the period from 1900 to 2004.Rock glaciers, generally glacial ice
Authors
James G. Moore, Barry C. Moring
Geologic map of southwestern Sequoia National Park, Tulare County, California
This map shows the geology of 675 km2 (260 mi2) on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, California, mainly in Sequoia National Park and Sequoia National Forest. It was produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the request of the National Park Service to complete the geologic map coverage of Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. The area includes the Mineral King 15’ topographic quadrangl
Authors
Thomas W. Sisson, James G. Moore
Early Pleistocene origin of reefs around Lanai, Hawaii
A sequence of submerged terraces (L1–L12) offshore Lanai was previously interpreted as reefal, and correlated with a similar series of reef terraces offshore Hawaii island, whose ages are known to be <500 ka. We present bathymetric, observational, lithologic and 51 87Sr/86Sr isotopic measurements for the submerged Lanai terraces ranging from −300 to −1000 m (L3–L12) that indicate that these terrac
Authors
Jody M. Webster, David A. Clague, Iain D.E. Faichney, Paul D. Fullagar, James R. Hein, James G. Moore, Charles K. Paull
Hand-Hewn Granite Basins at Native American Saltworks, Sierra Nevada, California
This site in the northern Sierra Nevada contains about 369 circular basins carved in fresh, glaciated granodioritic bedrock, with 325 basins crowded together in an area of 2,700 m2 on the main terrace. These terrace basins have a median average diameter of 125 cm (80 percent between 100 and 160 cm) and a median depth of 75-80 cm. They show a strong congruity to similar granitic basins in the south
Authors
James G. Moore, Michael F. Diggles
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Geologic map of the Lone Pine 15' quadrangle, Inyo County, California
Oblique aerial view west across Owens Valley in Lone Pine 15' quadrangle. In distance, Sierra Nevada, capped by Mount Whitney (elev. 14,494 ft; 4,418 m). In middle distance, Alabama Hills, town of Lone Pine, and Owens River. In foreground, Kern Knob, at base of Inyo Mountains. Movement along Owens Valley Fault Zone, at base of Alabama Hills, caused great Lone Pine earthquake of 1872 (estimated Ric
Geologic map of the Lone Pine 15' quadrangle, Inyo County, California
Oblique aerial view west across Owens Valley in Lone Pine 15' quadrangle. In distance, Sierra Nevada, capped by Mount Whitney (elev. 14,494 ft; 4,418 m). In middle distance, Alabama Hills, town of Lone Pine, and Owens River. In foreground, Kern Knob, at base of Inyo Mountains. Movement along Owens Valley Fault Zone, at base of Alabama Hills, caused great Lone Pine earthquake of 1872 (estimated Ric
Bathymetry of the southwest flank of Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii
Much of the seafloor topography in the map area is on the southwest submarine flank of the currently active Mauna Loa Volcano. The benches and blocky hills shown on the map were shaped by giant landslides that resulted from instability of the rapidly growing volcano. These landslides were imagined during a 1986 to 1991 swath sonar program of the United States Hawaiian Exclusive Economic Zone, a co
Bathymetry of the west-central slope of the island of Hawaii
This map shows the topography of a small part of the subaerial western part of the Island of Hawaii as well as modern multibeam bathymetry of the west submarine flank, which covers a total area of about 8,500 km2 ( see index map). The map area includes part of the submerged flanks of the active Mauna Loa and Hualalai Volcanoes, which last erupted in 1984 and 1801 respectively. The steep and irregu
Bathymetry of southern Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii
Manua Loa, the largest volcano on Earth, lies largely beneath the sea, and until recently only generalized bathymetry of this giant volcano was available. However, within the last two decades, the development of multibeam sonar and the improvement of satellite systems (Global Positioning System) have increased the availability of precise bathymetric mapping. This map combines topography of the sub
Physiographic diagrams of the May 18, 1980, landslide-eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington
This sequence of diagrams shows the complex series of events that culminated in the catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens on the morning of May 18, 1980.
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 75
Observations on the structure of Surtsey
Comparison of investigations of the 1979 and 2017 cored boreholes coupled with continued observations of the dynamic surface of Surtsey has modified our concepts of the subsurface structure of the volcano. A geometrical analysis of the 2017 vertical and inclined cores indicates that near-surface layering dips westerly, indicating that the boreholes are located inside the Surtur crater. In subaeriaAuthorsJames G. Moore, Marie D. JacksonAuthigenic mineral texture in submarine 1979 basalt drill core, Surtsey volcano, Iceland
Micrometer-scale maps of authigenic microstructures in submarine basaltic tuff specimens from a 1979 Surtsey volcano, Iceland, drill core acquired 15 years after eruptions terminated provide fresh perspectives for deciphering the initial alteration of oceanic basalt in a low temperature hydrothermal system. A novel investigative approach integrates synchrotron source X-ray microdiffraction (µXRD),AuthorsM.D. Jackson, S. Couper, S.V. Stan, M. Ivarsson, M.W. Czabaj, N. Tamura, D. Parkinson, L.M. Miyagi, James G. MooreSUSTAIN drilling at Surtsey volcano, Iceland, tracks hydrothermal and microbiological interactions in basalt 50 years after eruption
The 2017 Surtsey Underwater volcanic System for Thermophiles, Alteration processes and INnovative concretes (SUSTAIN) drilling project at Surtsey volcano, sponsored in part by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), provides precise observations of the hydrothermal, geochemical, geomagnetic, and microbiological changes that have occurred in basaltic tephra and minor intruAuthorsM.D. Jackson, M.T. Gudmundsson, T.B. Weisenberger, J.M. Rhodes, A. Stefánsson, B. Kleine, P.C. Lippert, J.M. Marquardt, H.I. Reynolds, J. Kück, V.Þ. Marteinsson, P. Vannier, W. Bach, A. Barich, P. Bergsten, J. G. Bryce, P. Cappelletti, S. Couper, M.F. Fahnestock, C. Gorny, C. Grimaldi, M. Groh, Á. Guðmundsson, Á.Þ. Gunnlaugsson, C. Hamlin, Þ. Högnadóttir, K. Jónasson, S.S. Jónsson, S.L. Jørgensen, A. Klonowski, B.V. Marshall, J. McPhie, James G. Moore, E.S. Ólafsson, S.L. Onstag, V. Perez, S. Prause, S.P. Snorasson, A. Türke, J.D.L. White, B. ZimanowskiMini-columns and ghost columns in Columbia river lava
The master joints bounding the columns that make up the basal colonnade of large lava flows of the Columbia Plateau are, in places, flanked by sub-horizontal mini-columns that have grown normal to the master joints. The secondary mini-columns grow into the main columns and are clearly younger than them. They are small adjacent to the master joint, but merge together and thicken away from the fractAuthorsJames G. MoorePleistocene volcanism and shifting shorelines at Lake Tahoe, California
In the northwestern Lake Tahoe Basin, Pleistocene basaltic and trachyandesitic lavas form a small volcanic field comprising ∼1 km3 of lava that erupted from seven vents. Most of these lavas erupted subaerially and produced lava flows. However, where they flowed into an early Lake Tahoe (Proto-Tahoe), they produced deltas consisting of hydrovolcanic breccias as well as pillow lavas draped downslopeAuthorsWinifred Kortemeier, Andrew T. Calvert, James G. Moore, Richard SchweickertThe saltiest springs in the Sierra Nevada, California
The five saltiest springs in the Sierra Nevada in California are found between 38.5° and 38.8° N. latitude, on the South Fork American River; on Caples Creek, a tributary of the Silver Fork American River; and on the North Fork Mokelumne River. The springs issue from Cretaceous granitic rocks in the bottoms of these major canyons, between 1,200- and 2,200-m elevation. All of these springs were welAuthorsJames G. Moore, Michael F. Diggles, William C. Evans, Karin KlemicConcentration and retention of Toxoplasma gondii surrogates from seawater by red abalone (Haliotis rufescens)
Small marine snails and abalone have been identified as high- and low-risk prey items, respectively, for exposure of threatened southern sea otters to Toxoplasma gondii, a zoonotic parasite that can cause fatal encephalitis in animals and humans. While recent work has characterized snails as paratenic hosts for T. gondii, the ability of abalone to vector the parasite has not been evaluated. To furAuthorsKristen C Schott, Colin Krusor, M. Tim Tinker, James G. Moore, Patricia A. Conrad, Karen ShapiroTsunami-generated sediment wave channels at Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada, USA
A gigantic ∼12 km3 landslide detached from the west wall of Lake Tahoe (California-Nevada, USA), and slid 15 km east across the lake. The splash, or tsunami, from this landslide eroded Tioga-age moraines dated as 21 ka. Lake-bottom short piston cores recovered sediment as old as 12 ka that did not reach landslide deposits, thereby constraining the landslide age as 21–12 ka.Movement of the landslidAuthorsJames G. Moore, Richard A. Schweickert, Christopher A. KittsRangewide glaciation in the Sierra Nevada, California
The 600-km-long Sierra Nevada underwent extensive Pleistocene glaciation except for its southernmost 100 km. Presently, ∼1700 small glaciers and ice masses near the crest of the range occur above 3250 m in elevation; these covered an area of ∼50 km2 in 1972. Fourteen of the largest glaciers decreased by about one half in area during the period from 1900 to 2004.Rock glaciers, generally glacial iceAuthorsJames G. Moore, Barry C. MoringGeologic map of southwestern Sequoia National Park, Tulare County, California
This map shows the geology of 675 km2 (260 mi2) on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, California, mainly in Sequoia National Park and Sequoia National Forest. It was produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the request of the National Park Service to complete the geologic map coverage of Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. The area includes the Mineral King 15’ topographic quadranglAuthorsThomas W. Sisson, James G. MooreEarly Pleistocene origin of reefs around Lanai, Hawaii
A sequence of submerged terraces (L1–L12) offshore Lanai was previously interpreted as reefal, and correlated with a similar series of reef terraces offshore Hawaii island, whose ages are known to be <500 ka. We present bathymetric, observational, lithologic and 51 87Sr/86Sr isotopic measurements for the submerged Lanai terraces ranging from −300 to −1000 m (L3–L12) that indicate that these terracAuthorsJody M. Webster, David A. Clague, Iain D.E. Faichney, Paul D. Fullagar, James R. Hein, James G. Moore, Charles K. PaullHand-Hewn Granite Basins at Native American Saltworks, Sierra Nevada, California
This site in the northern Sierra Nevada contains about 369 circular basins carved in fresh, glaciated granodioritic bedrock, with 325 basins crowded together in an area of 2,700 m2 on the main terrace. These terrace basins have a median average diameter of 125 cm (80 percent between 100 and 160 cm) and a median depth of 75-80 cm. They show a strong congruity to similar granitic basins in the southAuthorsJames G. Moore, Michael F. DigglesNon-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- Science
- Maps
Geologic map of the Lone Pine 15' quadrangle, Inyo County, California
Oblique aerial view west across Owens Valley in Lone Pine 15' quadrangle. In distance, Sierra Nevada, capped by Mount Whitney (elev. 14,494 ft; 4,418 m). In middle distance, Alabama Hills, town of Lone Pine, and Owens River. In foreground, Kern Knob, at base of Inyo Mountains. Movement along Owens Valley Fault Zone, at base of Alabama Hills, caused great Lone Pine earthquake of 1872 (estimated RicGeologic map of the Lone Pine 15' quadrangle, Inyo County, California
Oblique aerial view west across Owens Valley in Lone Pine 15' quadrangle. In distance, Sierra Nevada, capped by Mount Whitney (elev. 14,494 ft; 4,418 m). In middle distance, Alabama Hills, town of Lone Pine, and Owens River. In foreground, Kern Knob, at base of Inyo Mountains. Movement along Owens Valley Fault Zone, at base of Alabama Hills, caused great Lone Pine earthquake of 1872 (estimated RicBathymetry of the southwest flank of Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii
Much of the seafloor topography in the map area is on the southwest submarine flank of the currently active Mauna Loa Volcano. The benches and blocky hills shown on the map were shaped by giant landslides that resulted from instability of the rapidly growing volcano. These landslides were imagined during a 1986 to 1991 swath sonar program of the United States Hawaiian Exclusive Economic Zone, a coBathymetry of the west-central slope of the island of Hawaii
This map shows the topography of a small part of the subaerial western part of the Island of Hawaii as well as modern multibeam bathymetry of the west submarine flank, which covers a total area of about 8,500 km2 ( see index map). The map area includes part of the submerged flanks of the active Mauna Loa and Hualalai Volcanoes, which last erupted in 1984 and 1801 respectively. The steep and irreguBathymetry of southern Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii
Manua Loa, the largest volcano on Earth, lies largely beneath the sea, and until recently only generalized bathymetry of this giant volcano was available. However, within the last two decades, the development of multibeam sonar and the improvement of satellite systems (Global Positioning System) have increased the availability of precise bathymetric mapping. This map combines topography of the subPhysiographic diagrams of the May 18, 1980, landslide-eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington
This sequence of diagrams shows the complex series of events that culminated in the catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens on the morning of May 18, 1980. - News
*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