John Crowell

Dr. John C. Crowell, was married to Betty (deceased), who was a photographer with an enormous collection of photos from around the world. Many of these photos have been used in various publications. John and Betty's daughter, Martha ("Marty") Crowell, is a sculptor.

John is Professor Emeritus at the University of California. His specializations in Geology include Tectonics, Sedimentation in Relation to Tectonics, and Paleoclimates. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.

"My research efforts are concerned with two general areas: 1) Pre-Mesozoic ice ages throughout geological time, and 2) Geology and tectonics of the central Transverse Ranges area of southern California. Though officially retired, I would welcome informal discussions with students dealing with ancient paleoclimates (especially ancient ice ages over the Earth) and with California tectonics. Reference: UCSB Geology"

A feature article about John can be found in the June, 1999 ed. of Geotimes. John received the Penrose Medal in 1995. A paper on the San Gabriel Fault is available here. Of other interest, John wrote a biographical memoire for Preston Cloud. Reference: Earth Science Week - American Geological Institute "Spotlight" (June 1999), " John C. Crowell: A Geologist’s Geologist "

Supplying wave forecasts for the Normandy invasion and guiding field trips in the southwestern United States as a University of California at Los Angles (UCLA) professor are just two of John C. Crowell’s adventures as a geologist. He inadvertently found a passion for geology when he filled an assigned seat in geology class as a favor to a friend who was more interested in his girlfriend than his geology class. Crowell’s discovery drove him to seek a master’s degree at UCLA; however, he eventually postponed his degree to pursue a job as a field geologist at Shell Oil Company. After he was drafted for World War II, he completed a meteorology program in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He eventually studied wave forecasting at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography with Prof. Harald Sverdrup and Walter Monk. Their forecasts of how storms affected waves in the English Channel helped determine the landing date for the Normandy Invasion. A feature story in the June 1999 Geotimes details Crowell’s participation in the war and the rest of his geological career. Reference: agiweb.org

YOUTUBE VIDEO of Dr. John Crowell at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV0wRydkoXo explaining San Andreas Fault early 1970's

MARTY CROWELL (daughter)

Martha ('Marty') Crowell, John and Betty's daughter, is married to Art Bobroski. In addition to Marty's shop, she and husband, Art, often go to Renaissance Festivals.

Marty, who is married to Art Bobroski, is a sculptor who creates beautiful, custom hand-crafted jewelery. Her studio is located in Santa Cruz, California. She signs her work with "MM", which stands for "Marty Magic". To see her work and read more information about her, go to www.martymagic.com.