Dr. Robert B. Smith

Dr Bob Smith, a distinguished professor with the Department of Geologoy and Geophysics at the University of Utah, has a distinguished career in geophysics working on earthquakes, crustal deformation, education, and outreach throughout his career.  Early in his career Bob served as Director of the University of Utah Seismograph Stations and implemented the first UUSS dedicated real-time computer system. Bob’s research in Yellowstone began in 1956 and he was present for the 1959 M7.5 Hebgen Lake, MT, earthquake, an experience that triggered his interest into a career in geophysics. Bob works on observations and modeling of lithospheric structure, earthquakes and volcanoes, GPS studies of crustal motion, seismicity and evolution of the Yellowstone hotspot, seismicity of Utah, etc. He has conducted pioneering geophysics investigations of the Yellowstone hotspot, the Basin-Range Province, Wasatch Front, Swiss-French-Italian Alps, and Mediterranean studies followed by national evaluations of earthquake and volcano hazard of nuclear facilities. His devotion to education has resulted in the supervision of 69 graduate students, 17 Post Docs and 8 senior student theses. In addition Bob and his colleagues’ research has resulted in over 200 scientific papers and hundreds of presentations at scientific meetings worldwide. He has received numerous honors including receipt of the U.S. Antarctic Medal in 1965; the The Distinguished University of Utah Research Award; the Utah Geological Association, Hintze Award; the USGS John Wesley Powell Award; the GSA George Woollard Award, and the AGU Paul G. Silver Award. His book with co-author Lee Siegel, “Windows Into the Earth: The Geologic Story of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks”, is the most popular public document on this subject. Bob has been a member of numerous boards and foundations including co-founder of the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology, IRIS; co-founder, University geodetic and GPS Consortium for Geoscience Research, UNAVCO; chairperson of the Southern California Earthquake Center, SCEC; and co-founder and chair of EarthScope, the first national earth science research program. 

• Recipient, United States Antarctic Medal, 1964, for leadership and expeditionary exploration and research of Antarctica while serving as the U. S. Exchange Scientist to the British Antarctic Survey 1962-63.
• Recipient, United Kingdom, Gold Medallion award from the British Antarctic Survey, 1965, for outstanding research and service in Antarctica.
• Recipient of the University of Utah Department of Geology and Geophysics Research Award, 1983.
• Recipient of the University of Utah Distinguished Research Award, 1985.
• Hamilton Scholar Award, Southern Methodist University, for career of geophysical research in studies of hydrothermal systems of the Rocky Mtns, Basin-Range and Yellowstone.
• Career Research Award, Department of Interior, National Park Service, 2006.
• Yellowstone National Park, National Park Service, Award for scientific research in pursuit of understanding the Yellowstone volcano and unconditionally sharing that knowledge for the benefit of future generations, 2008.
• National Park Service Directors Award for Natural Resource Research, 2009.
• John Wesley Powell Award, 2011, the U.S. Department of Interior’s, National Park Service highest award.
• George P. Woollard Award, 2012, the Geological Society of America highest award and given in recognition of Bob’s outstanding contributions to the field of geophysics.
• S. Geological Survey, Recipient, Career Award, 2015 honoring Bob for his outstanding scientific career and his legacy of pioneering research and discoveries in the Yellowstone/Teton volcano-tectonic system. This award was celebrated by holding a symposium in his name at the GSA Rocky Mountain meetings.
• Recipient, Paul G. Silver Award, 2015, American Geophysical Union, for contributions in earth science research, mentoring careers of junior scientists and leadership and founding of major national Earth Science programs: IRIS, UNAVCO and EarthScope.
• Bob’s long-time research was recognized by the University of Utah, 1996m by naming the new Department of Geology and Geophysics Computational Laboratory in his and his wife Janet’s name.
• Bob is the leader of the pioneering Yellowstone earthquake monitoring in 1983 developing the 35-station seismic network of the University of Utah Seismograph Stations with 260 channel of real-time data.
• Bob led the development of the Yellowstone Global Positioning, GPS, monitoring network in the late 80s that now has 40 stations of real-time precise positioning data.
• Beginning in 1983 was Principal Investigator of the 2015-2019 Old Faithful seismic imaging project, Anatomy of Old Faithful using hundreds of the new NODAL portable seismographs. This is the first time this iconic geyser has been imaged in 3- and 4-dimensions to depths of a kilometer.