Revelle, Roger (1909-1991), was an American oceanographer and a pioneer in deep-sea research. His work led to the discovery of sea-floor spreading and magnetic reversals (see Ocean (How the sea floor was formed); Magnetism (The magnetism of astronomical bodies)). Revelle was also among the first to focus attention on the problem of global warming and the greenhouse effect caused by an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In 1957, largely as a result of Revelle’s lobbying efforts, gas recorders were put in place in Hawaii and at the South Pole to measure changes in the atmosphere.
Roger Randall Revelle was born in Seattle. He received his Ph.D. degree in oceanography from the University of California’s Scripps Institute of Oceanography in 1936. Revelle began teaching at Scripps in 1936 and spent most of his career in close association with the institute, first as a professor and researcher, then as director from 1951 to 1964.
From 1946 to 1947, Revelle served as supervisor of oceanographic measurements for the United States Navy. During that period, the U.S. government conducted an atomic bomb test off Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean; Revelle directed research at the test site.
While at Scripps, Revelle led a number of expeditions to the South Pacific Ocean, surveying deep trenches and other features of the ocean floor. He wrote extensively on his scientific findings. In the 1950’s, Revelle conducted a major study of ocean resources for the Scripps Institute. He also continued to look into the effects of nuclear testing and the dumping of radioactive waste in the ocean.
Revelle helped establish the San Diego campus of the University of California in 1959, and served as its first dean of science. From 1964 to 1976, he was director of the Center for Population Studies at Harvard University. Revelle returned to San Diego in 1976 as professor of science and public policy.
