Don Russell

Biography

B.A (1951) Toronto; M.A. (1952) Toronto; Ph.D. (1954) Toronto; Alfred P. Sloane Foundation Fellow (1954-1958); F.R.S.C.; P. Geo.; J. Tuzo Wilson Medal, Canadian Geophysical Union (1993); Faculty Member, UBC (1958-1962); Toronto (1962-63); UBC (1963- ). B.A (1951) Toronto; M.A. (1952) Toronto; Ph.D. (1954) Toronto; Alfred P. Sloane Foundation Fellow (1954-1958); F.R.S.C.; P. Geo.; J. Tuzo Wilson Medal, Canadian Geophysical Union (1993); Faculty Member, UBC (1958-1962); Toronto (1962-63); UBC (1963- ).

Research Interest

My research interests centre around the application of methods of physics to the solution of problems of interest to geophysics. These interests have brought me into contact with research in geochronology, mass spectrometry, geomagnetism, seismology, gravimetry and seismoelectric phenomena. My colleagues, at the University of Toronto and at UBC, and I were the first to demonstrate the existence of very ancient rocks in Australia, and to show that some rocks in Great Britain were much older than previously supposed. We directed much of our attention to the measurement and interpretation of the isotopic ratios of lead in lead ores. We were the first to demonstrate clearly the linear arrays of isotopic data that are now known as secondary isochrons. With Steve Pearce, I demonstrated the inversion of cosmic-ray produced nuclei in iron meteorites to obtain exposure ages that allow for the possibility that the incident flux has not been constant in time. The physics of geophysical instruments, a matter that has always interested me, has now become my principal research interest. Since our first serious work on fluxgate magnetometers in 1982, we have achieved a new understanding of the fluxgate theory. With colleagues Barry Narod, Zu-Cheng Gao and Frank Kollar, I have published papers using the method of Floquet to solve the appropriate differential equations, and matrix techniques to develop phase-plane solutions. Narod has incorporated a geophysical company, which is building magnetometers under license from The University of British Columbia. His instruments have found wide application in terrestrial geophysics and have been flown in space vehicles.