# Richard Doell

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**Richard Doell** (1923 – March 6, 2008) was an American geophysicist, known for developing the time scale for [geomagnetic reversals](/source/Geomagnetic_reversal) with [Allan V. Cox](/source/Allan_V._Cox) and [Brent Dalrymple](/source/Brent_Dalrymple). This work was a major step in the development of [plate tectonics](/source/Plate_tectonics). Doell shared the [Vetlesen Prize](/source/Vetlesen_Prize) with Cox and Dalrymple.

## Life and career

Doell was born in [Oakland, California](/source/Oakland,_California), U.S. in 1923, and grew up with his parents Raymond and Mable Doell in [Carpinteria, California](/source/Carpinteria,_California), U.S.[1]

After serving for 2 years as a combat infantryman during World War II, he resumed his studies at [UC Berkeley](/source/UC_Berkeley), where he earned his doctorate in [geophysics](/source/Geophysics) in 1955. Following graduation, Richard held teaching positions at the [University of Toronto](/source/University_of_Toronto) and [MIT](/source/MIT). Richard joined the [U.S. Geological Survey](/source/U.S._Geological_Survey) Geophysics Branch in [Menlo Park, California](/source/Menlo_Park,_California), in 1955 where he specialized in research on the Earth’s [magnetic field](/source/Magnetic_field) and [remanent magnetization](/source/Natural_remanent_magnetization) in rocks.

He was an integral member of a team that presented convincing evidence of periodic polarity reversals of earth’s main magnetic field by analyzing magnetization of rock samples collected from widely separated, geologically young, volcanic sequences. Furthermore, isotopic dating of the rock samples provided the first time scale of polarity epochs for the last 3.2 million years.[2] The timed sequence of reversals, with subsequent refinements by this [USGS](/source/USGS) team and others, proved to be a major component of the plate tectonics revolution in the mid-to late 1960s. It not only provided the basis for confirming the hypothesis of sea floor spreading, but it also was a technique for quantifying rates and amounts of crustal plate movements on a global scale.[3] For his numerous unique pioneering scientific contributions and leadership, Richard Doell was elected to the [United States National Academy of Sciences](/source/United_States_National_Academy_of_Sciences) in 1969 and he shared the prestigious [Vetlesen Prize](/source/Vetlesen_Prize) with [Allan V. Cox](/source/Allan_V._Cox) and [G. Brent Dalrymple](/source/G._Brent_Dalrymple) of the USGS and [S. Keith Runcorn](/source/Keith_Runcorn) in 1971.[1] Richard served as President of the [American Geophysical Union](/source/American_Geophysical_Union)’s section on [Geomagnetism](/source/Geomagnetism) and [Paleomagnetism](/source/Paleomagnetism) from 1968 to 1970 and as Chief of the Geological Survey’s Branch of Theoretical Geophysics from 1967 to 1971.

In 1978, Richard retired from the USGS to pursue his passions for the new field of environmental studies, sailing, exploration, and photography. Having built a 38-foot sailboat, Muav, he began a series of long sailing cruises to [Alaska](/source/Alaska), [French Polynesia](/source/French_Polynesia), and northern Europe. In 1984 he married Janet Hoare who joined him on those voyages.

Doell died in his sleep on March 6, 2008, at his home in [Point Richmond, California](/source/Point_Richmond,_California).[4]

## Publications

- *"Measurement of the remanent magnetization of igneous rocks"* with [Allan V. Cox](/source/Allan_V._Cox). [U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin No. 1203-A](https://archive.today/20121214062724/http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/b/b1203A) (1965)
- *"Computer program for a generic western coal region simulated model developed to investigate potential applications of system dynamics modeling to the EIS process,"* [U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report No. 78-321](https://archive.today/20121214061147/http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/ofr/ofr78321) (1978)

## References

1. Dalrymple, G. Brent. ["Richard R. Doell, Biographical Memoirs"](https://www.nasonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/doell-richard.pdf). – via National Academy of Sciences.

1. *"Geomagnetic polarity epochs; Sierra Nevada II"* Allan V. Cox, Richard Doell and G. Brent Dalrymple, **Science**, vol.142, no.3590, pp.382-385, 1963

1. ["125th - Articles - Science - the Birth of Plate Tectonics Theory"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090217155632/http://www.usgs.gov/125/articles/plate_tectonics.html). Archived from [the original](https://www.usgs.gov/125/articles/plate_tectonics.html) on 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2009-02-25.

1. ["Richard Doell Obituary"](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/richard-doell-obituary?id=23966925). *San Francisco Chronicle*. 13 March 2008. Retrieved 14 August 2025.

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