George Brimhall
Faculty

George Brimhall
Mineral resources, mineral exploration science, field geology, surface processes, low temperature geochemistry, granitic batholiths, soil geochemistry, geochronology of weathering systems.
1972 Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley
1969 B.A. University of California, Berkeley
Mineral resources, mineral exploration science, field geology, surface processes, low temperature geochemistry, granitic batholiths, soil geochemistry, geochronology of weathering systems.
Digital Mapping
Brimhall, G. H, Dilles, John, Proffett, J., 2006, The Role of Geological Mapping in Mineral Exploration in Wealth Creation in the Minerals Industry, Special Publication 12, Anniversary Publications of the Society of Economic Geologists, p. 221-241.
Brimhall, G. H, Vanegas and Derek Lerch, A., 2002, GeoMapper Program for paperless field mapping with seamless map production in ESRI ArcMap and GeoLogger for drill-hole data capture: Applications in geology, astronomy, environmental remediation and raised relief models in D. R. Soller ed., Digital Mapping Technqiues�02-Workshop Proceedings: U. S. Geological Survey Open File Report 02-370, p 141- 151.http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/of02-370/brimhall.html
Brimhall, G. H and Vanegas, A., 2001, Removing Science Workflow Barriers to Adoption of
Digital Geological Mapping by Using the GeoMapper Universal Program and Visual
User Interface: in D. R. Soller ed., Digital Mapping Technqiues�01- Workshop proceedings: U. S. Geological Survey Open File Report 01-223, p. 103-114, <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2001/of01-223/brimhall.html>
Mining and the Environment
Brimhall, G. H and Gustafson, L. B. , Co-Organizers of SEG-GSA Meyer Symposium on Maintaining Compatibility of Mining and the Environment, Seattle Washington, SEG, 1996. To order a copy fax SEG: (303) 797-0417.
Mineralization and Wall Rock Alteration
Brimhall, G. H, 1977, Early fracture-controlled disseminated mineralization at Butte, Montana, Econ. Geol., v. 72, p. 37-59.
Brimhall, G. H, 1979, Lithologic determination of mass transfer mechanisms of multiple stage porphyry copper mineralization at Butte, Montana: Element recycling by hypogene leaching and enrichment of potassium-silicate protore, Econ. Geol., v. 74, p.
556-589.
Brimhall, G. H, 1980, Deep hypogene oxidation of porphyry copper potassium-silicate protores: A theoretical evaluation of the copper remobilization hypothesis, Econ. Geol., v. 75, p. 384-409.
Brimhall, G. H and Ghiorso, M. S., 1983, Origin and ore-forming consequences of the advanced argillic alteration process in hypogene environments by magnetic gas contamination of meteoric fluids, Econ. Geol., v. 78, p. 73-90.
Brimhall, G. H, Agee, C. and Stoffregen, R., 1985, Hydrothermal conversion of hornblende to biotite, Canadian Mineralogist, v. 21, p. 369-379.
Brimhall, G. H, 1991, The genesis of ores: Scientific American, May, 1991, v. 264, p. 84-91.
Supergene Enrichment and Exotic Deposits
Brimhall, G., H, Alpers, C., and Cunningham, A., 1985, Analysis of supergene ore-forming processes and ground water solute transport using mass balance principles, Econ. Geol., v. 80, p. 1227-1256.
Brimhall, G. H and Dietrich, W., 1987, Constitutive mass balance relations between chemical composition, volume, density, porosity, and strain in metasomatic hydrochemical systems: Results on weathering and pedogenesis, Geochim. et Cosmochim. Acta, v. 51, p. 567-58.
Alpers, C. and Brimhall, G. H, 1988, Middle Miocene climatic change in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile: Evidence from supergene mineralization at La Escondida: Geol. Soc. Amer., v. 100, p. 1640-1656.
Alpers, C. and Brimhall, G. H, 1989, Paleohydrologic evolution and geochemical dynamics of cumulative supergene metal enrichment at La Escondida, Atacama Desert, northern Chile: Econ. Geol., v. 84, p. 229-255.
Ague, J. and Brimhall, G. 1989, Geochemical modeling of steady state fluid flow and chemical reaction during supergene enrichment of porphyry copper deposits: Econ. Geol., v. 84, p. 506-528.
Regional Petrology and Metallogenesis
Ague, J. and Brimhall, G. H, 1987, Granites of the batholiths of California: Products of local assimilation and regional-scale crustal contamination, Geology, v. 15, p. 63-66.
Brimhall, G. H, 1987, Preliminary fractionation patterns of ore metals through Earth history, Chem. Geol., v. 64, 1-16.
Ague, J., and Brimhall, G. H, 1988, Regional variations in bulk chemistry, mineralogy, and the compositions of mafic and accessory minerals in the batholiths of California, Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull., v. 100, 891-911.
Ague, J. and Brimhall, G. H, 1988, Magmatic arc asymmetry and distribution of anomalous plutonic belts in the batholiths of California: Effects of assimilation, crustal thickness, and depth of crystallization, v. 100, 912-927.
Brimhall, G. H and Crerar, D., 1987, Ore fluids: Magmatic to supergene, in Thermodynamic Modeling of Geological Materials: Minerals, Fluids and Melts, I. Carmichael and H. Eugster, eds., Min. Soc. Amer. Reviews in Mineralogy, v. 17, Ch. 10, p. 235-321.
Soil Genesis
Chadwick, O., Brimhall, G. H, and Hendricks, D., 1990, From a black to a gray box- A mass balance interpretation of pedogenesis: Geomorphology, v. 3, p. 369-390.
Brimhall, G., H, Lewis, C., Ford, C., Bratt, J., Taylor, G. and Warin, O., 1991, Quantitative geochemical approach to pedogenesis: Importance of parent material reduction, volumetric expansion, and eolian influx in laterization: Geoderma, v. 51, p. 51-91.
Brimhall, G. H, Chadwick, O., Lewis, C., Compston, W., Williams, I., Danti, K., Dietrich, W., Power, M., Hendricks, D., and Bratt, J., 1992, Deformational mass transport and invasive processes in soil evolution: Science, v. 255, p. 695-702.
Colin, F., Brimhall, G. H, Nahon, D., Lewis, C., Baronnet, A., and Danti, C., 1992, Equatorial rain forest lateritic mantles: A geomembrane filter: Geology, v. 20, p. 523-526.
Merritts, D. J., Chadwick, O. and Brimhall, G. H, 1993, The mass balance of soil evolution on Late Quaternary marine terraces, Northern California: Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull., v. 104, no. 11, p. 1456-1470.
Jersak, J., Amundson, R. and G. Brimhall, 1993, A mass balance analysis of podzolization: Examples from northeastern United States: Geoderma, v. 66, p. 15-42.
Geochronology of Leached Cappings and Soils
Vasconcelos, P., Becker, T., Renne, P., and Brimhall, G. H, 1992, Age and duration of weathering by 40K-40Ar and 40Ar/39Ar analysis of potassium-manganese oxides: Science, v. 258, p. 451-455.
Vasconcelos, P., Brimhall, G., Becker, T., and Renne, P., 1994, 40Ar/39Ar Analysis of supergene jarosite and alunite: implications to the weathering history of Western U.S. and West Africa: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 58, p. 401-420.
Brimhall, G., Compston, W., Williams, I., Reinfrank, C., and Lewis, C., 1994, Darwinian zircons as tracers of the provenance of exotic detrital components in lateritic bauxites using mass balance and SHRIMP ion microprobe techniques: 1994, in Soil Micromorphology: Studies in management and genesis, A. J. Ringrose-Voase and G. S. Humphreys eds, Elsevier publishers, by p. 65-82.
Vasconcelos, P., Renne, P., Brimhall, G., and Becker, T., 1994, Direct dating of weathering phenomena by 40Ar/39Ar and K-Ar analysis of supergene K-Mn oxides: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta: v. 58, p. 1635-1665.
1980 Waldemar Lindgren Award of the Society of Economic Geologists
1985 Hugh Exton McKinstry Lecturer of Harvard University
1986 Gallagher Lecturer, University of Calgary
1988 Fellow of the Geological Society of America
1990 Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America
1999 UC Berkeley Noyce Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in Physical Sciences and Chemistry
2001 Elected to the National Academy of Engineering