Draft:William E. Bonini
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William Emory Bonini | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 23, 1926 Washington, D.C., United States |
| Died | December 13, 2016 (aged 90) Princeton, New Jersey, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Princeton University (B.S., M.S.E.) University of Wisconsin–Madison (Ph.D.) |
| Known for | Global gravity and magnetics research, geology and geophysics instruction |
| Spouse | Rose Rozich Bonini |
| Awards | President's Award for Distinguished Teaching (1992); Princeton University Award for Excellence in Alumni Education (2010) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geophysics, Geological engineering |
| Institutions | Princeton University |
| Doctoral advisor | George P. Woollard |
William Emory Bonini (August 23, 1926 – December 13, 2016) was an American geologist and geophysicist. He was Professor of Geological Engineering at Princeton University and known for his global gravity and magnetic surveys that advanced the understanding of Earth's shape and crustal structure.[1] From 1970-1996, he held the George J. Magee Professorship of Geoscience and Geological Engineering, after which he became emeritus.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Bonini was born in Washington, D.C., in 1926. A fourth generation Washingtonian, he graduated from Western High School. He began his undergraduate studies at Princeton University in 1944 and was drafted into the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he trained in radar operations. He returned to Princeton to complete his B.S. in engineering in 1948 and M.S.E. in 1949. He earned his Ph.D. in geology and geophysics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1957,[3] working with George P. Woollard.[4] Bonini was the first member of his family to earn a college degree.[5]
Career
[edit]Bonini joined the Princeton faculty in 1953, ultimately holding joint appointments in the Department of Geological and Geophysical Sciences and the Department of Civil Engineering and Operations Research. He taught courses in geophysics, field geology, and geological engineering for over four decades.[3]
He advised every geological engineering student at Princeton for 30 years and coordinated the Department of Geosciences undergraduate advising for all geology majors.[3] In addition to classroom instruction, he directed summer field courses and educational workshops, most notably at the Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association (YBRA).[6]
He served as chair of Princeton’s Geological Engineering program from 1973 until his retirement.[3] In the 1980s, he served terms as President of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), and as Chairman of the Geophysics Division of the Geological Society of America (GSA).[7][8] A longtime board member of the YBRA, he served two terms as President (1958-1959; 1971-1973)[9] and was the Director of the Princeton-YBRA Field Course program for over 30 years starting in 1959.[6][10]
Geophysics research
[edit]During the Cold War, Bonini collaborated with geophysicist George P. Woollard on U.S. Navy- and Office of Naval Research-funded geophysical surveys that supported strategic military objectives such as submarine navigation, missile guidance, and global geodetic refinement.[1][11][12] A key focus of this work was the global standardization of gravity measurements. Bonini’s contributions were acknowledged in the U.S. Air Force–funded Assembly of Gravity Data report (1959), which credited Woollard and colleagues with establishing a coherent World Gravimetric System.[13]
Over the course of six global expeditions, Bonini conducted more than 400 gravity measurements across over 85 countries, from Alaska to Antarctica, using a Worden gravimeter sensitive enough to detect variations as small as one 100-millionth of Earth’s gravitational pull.[1][14][15] These measurements, conducted in part during U.S. Navy–sponsored missions, were instrumental in identifying regional gravity anomalies that interfered with vertical reference systems—especially in the Pacific—and in refining global navigation and missile guidance systems.[15][11] For example, his data revealed significant geographic variation, with gravity weakest in Lima, Peru, and strongest at the North Pole—differences that translated into measurable weight variations for identical objects depending on location.[1][15]
Bonini advanced the use of a range of geophysical techniques, including seismic, magnetics, radiometric dating and gravimetry, to better interpret geologic structures. His most impactful contributions using integrated techniques were related to an improved understanding of plate movements in the Caribbean[16] and the Strait of Gibraltar.[17] He also made contributions to the interpretation of complex structures in far-flung locations including the Northern Rockies,[18] Nicaragua,[19] Alaska,[20] and Maine.[21]
Personal life
[edit]Bonini met Rose Rozich in 1952 while both were graduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. They married on December 4, 1954, in Washington, D.C., and settled in Princeton, New Jersey, where they raised four children: John, Nancy, James, and Jennifer.[22]
Bonini was a lifelong educator, mentoring many generations of students across his 43-year tenure at Princeton. He organized field campaigns and facilitated teacher training programs. He ran a variety of geology field programs, from Venezuela to Montana and the Grand Canyon, and remained active in alumni programs after retirement.[3]
Bonini passed away on December 13, 2016, at the age of 90.[5] In honor of Bonini's dedication to geoscience education and research, the Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association (YBRA) established the Bill Bonini YBRA Memorial Fund. This fund supports YBRA's mission to facilitate geoscience education in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.[23]
Honors and awards
[edit]Bonini was awarded Princeton's President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1992.[24] In 2010, he was awarded the Princeton University Award for Excellence in Alumni Education.[25] From 2002-19 the Princeton Department of Geosciences routinely presented a teaching award in Bonini's name.[26]
In 2019, the Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association (YBRA) dedicated the Bonini Cabin in memory of William E. & Rose R. Bonini.[27]
Representative publications
[edit]Bonini authored and co-authored numerous scientific reports and peer-reviewed papers, including:
- Bonini, W.E. & Woollard, G.P. (1960). "Subsurface Geology of North Carolina–South Carolina Coastal Plain from Seismic Data." AAPG Bulletin, 44(3): 298–315. https://doi.org/10.1306/0BDA5FED-16BD-11D7-8645000102C1865D
- Moss, J.H. & Bonini, W.E. (1961). "Seismic Evidence Supporting a New Interpretation of the Cody Terrace Near Cody, Wyoming." GSA Bulletin, 72(4): 547–555. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1961)72%5B547:SESANI%5D2.0.CO;2
- Behrendt, J.C., Tibbetts, B.L., Bonini, W.E., Lavin, P.M., Love, J.D. & Reed, J.C. (1968). A geophysical study in Grand Teton National Park and vicinity, Teton County, Wyoming. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 516-E.
- Bonini, W.E., Loomis, T.P. & Robertson, J.D. (1973). "Gravity anomalies, ultramafic intrusions, and tectonics of region around Strait of Gibraltar." Journal of Geophysical Research, 78(8): 1372–1382. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/JB078i008p01372
- Kellogg, J.N. & Bonini, W.E. (1982). "Subduction of the Caribbean Plate and basement uplifts in the overriding South American Plate." Tectonics, 1(3): 251–276. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/TC001i003p00251
- Bonini, W.E., Hargraves, R.B. & Shagam, R. (1984). The Caribbean–South American Plate Boundary and Regional Tectonics. Geological Society of America Memoir 162, 421 pp.
He also co-authored a physical geology textbook:
- Judson, S., Bonini, W.E., Rossbacher, L.A., Rhodes, D.D. & Kauffman, M.E. (1995). Physical Geology: The Lab Book (9th ed.). Pearson College Division, 260 pp.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Just What Shape Is Mother Earth?". The New York Times. 1955-05-25.
- ^ "Professorships | Office of the Dean of the Faculty". dof.princeton.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
- ^ a b c d e Morgan, Kelly (2017). "Geoscientist William Bonini, dedicated teacher and genial colleague, dies at 90". www.princeton.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
- ^ Dott, Jr., Robert H. (2007). "The Archivist's Corner: The first thirty years of Geophysics at UW-Madison" (PDF). The Outcrop.
- ^ a b "William Emory Bonini Obituary". Mather-Hodge Funeral Home. 2016-12-13.
- ^ a b Whitmeyer, Steven J.; Mogk, David W.; Pyle, Eric J. (2009-01-01). Field Geology Education: Historical Perspectives and Modern Approaches. Geological Society of America. ISBN 978-0-8137-2461-4.
- ^ Bonini, William E. (1985-01-01). "Support the Goals of NAGT". Journal of Geological Education. 33 (1): 2. Bibcode:1985JGeoE..33....2B. doi:10.5408/0022-1368-33.1.2. ISSN 0022-1368.
- ^ Coope, J. Alan (May 1986). "From the Geological Association of Canada to GSA Members" (PDF). GSA News & Information. 8 (5). Geological Society of America. ISSN 0164-5854.
- ^ "YBRA UPLIFT – Annual Newsletter of the Yellowstone-Bighorn Research Association". Yellowstone-Bighorn Research Association. 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ National Park Service (2002). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association Camp" (PDF) (National Register of Historic Places Registration Form). Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ a b Warner, Deborah J. (2005-01-01), "A Matter of Gravity: Military Support for Gravimetry during the Cold War", Instrumental in War, Brill, pp. 339–362, doi:10.1163/9789047407034_017, ISBN 978-90-474-0703-4, retrieved 2025-07-07
- ^ Groh, George W. (1955-03-11). "Measuring Gravity Around the Globe". The Everyday Magazine.
- ^ Heiskanen, W.A. (1959). Assembly of Gravity Data (Report). Ohio State University Research Foundation. pp. iii–iv.
- ^ "Princeton Scientist Uncovers New Data on Earth's Gravity". The Evening Bulletin. 1955-05-24.
- ^ a b c "Princeton Geologist Measures Exact Shape of Earth". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1955-05-25.
- ^ Kellogg, J. N.; Bonini, W. E. (1982). "Subduction of the Caribbean Plate and basement uplifts in the overriding South American Plate". Tectonics. 1 (3): 251–276. doi:10.1029/TC001i003p00251. ISSN 1944-9194.
- ^ Bonini, William E.; Loomis, Timothy P.; Robertson, James D. (1973). "Gravity anomalies, ultramafic intrusions, and the tectonics of the region around the Strait of Gibraltar". Journal of Geophysical Research (1896-1977). 78 (8): 1372–1382. Bibcode:1973JGR....78.1372B. doi:10.1029/JB078i008p01372. ISSN 2156-2202.
- ^ Moss, John H.; Bonini, William E. (1961-04-01). "Seismic Evidence Supporting a New Interpretation of the Cody Terrace Near Cody, Wyoming". GSA Bulletin. 72 (4): 547–555. doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1961)72[547:SESANI]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0016-7606.
- ^ Bonini, William E. (1984-01-01), Bonini, William E.; Hargraves, Robert B.; Shagam, Reginald (eds.), "Magnetic provinces in western Venezuela", The Caribbean-South American Plate Boundary and Regional Tectonics, Geological Society of America Memoirs, vol. 162, Geological Society of America, pp. 161–174, doi:10.1130/mem162-p161, ISBN 978-0-8137-1162-1, retrieved 2025-06-19
- ^ Woollard, G. P.; Ostenso, N. A.; Thiel, E.; Bonini, W. E. (1960). "Gravity anomalies, crustal structure, and geology in Alaska". Journal of Geophysical Research (1896-1977). 65 (3): 1021–1037. Bibcode:1960JGR....65.1021W. doi:10.1029/JZ065i003p01021. ISSN 2156-2202.
- ^ Meyer, R. P.; Steinhart, J. S.; Howell, B. F. Jr.; Bonini, W. E.; Fahlquist, D. A.; Aldrich, L. T. (1962). "Cooperative Maine experiment in crustal seismology: Methods and application of fixed linear recording arrays to crustal measurements". Journal of Geophysical Research. 67: 3580.
- ^ "Obituaries 6/24/2020". Town Topics. 2020-06-24.
- ^ "Bill Bonini YBRA Memorial Fund". Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association. December 31, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
- ^ "President's Award for Distinguished Teaching | Office of the Dean of the Faculty". dof.princeton.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-19.
- ^ "Award for Excellence in Alumni Education Previous Recipients | Princeton Alumni". alumni.princeton.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-19.
- ^ "The Smilodon: Princeton Geosciences Newsletter Archive". Department of Geosciences, Princeton University. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ Moore, Gretchen (August 9, 2019). "Upcoming Events At YBRA For The Week Of August 12, 2019!". Yellowstone-Bighorn Research Association. YBRA. Retrieved 20 June 2025.