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Carl M Wentworth

Carl, a Scientist Emeritus with the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, is continuing a varied career that has included geologic mapping, geologic safety of nuclear power reactors, tectonic studies combining geology and geophysics, landslide hazards, and Quaternary stratigraphy and tectonics. He holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Earth Science from Stanford University.

Carl obtained a Ph.D. degree from Stanford University in 1967, having joined the U.S. Geological Survey full time in Menlo Park, CA, in 1963. He retired in 2004 and has continued in emeritus status in the Menlo Park, CA, office since. His work over the past 55 years, mostly in California, has involved geologic mapping; study of landslide, fault and earthquake hazards; management of a national research program on hazards to power reactors; investigation of crustal structure using deep reflection profiling; study of a deep Quaternary basin and its cyclic record of climate variation; and study of the Franciscan Complex and its tectonostratigraphic terranes.

Professional Experience

  • 2004-present, Emeritus Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California

  • 1979-2003, Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California

  • 1974-1978, U.S. Geological Survey, Program Manager, Reactor Hazards Research Program

  • 1963-1973, Research Geologist, US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California

  • 1963-field assistant to Director Tom Nolan, Eureka, Nevada, US Geological Survey

  • 1961-1962, Teaching Assistant, Stanford University

  • 1961-field assistant, Franciscan assemblage, California, U.S. Geological Survey

  • 1960-Junior Geologist, Nevada, Shell Oil Company

  • 1958-Junior Geologist, Socony Mobil Oil Company (Anaco, Venezuela)

  • 1957-field assistant, South Dakota, U.S. Geological Survey

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D., Earth Science, Stanford University, 1967

  • M.S., Earth Science, Stanford University, 1960

  • B. A., Geology, Dartmouth College, 1958

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

  • Geological Society of America (Fellow)

Science and Products

No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 69

Report of status of Reactor Hazards Research Program: fiscal years 1976-1977

The Reactor Hazards Research Program is a Geological Survey program directed at expediting the safe siting and design of power reactors in the United States through topical and regional work on major geological hazards, particularly faulting, earthquake shaking, volcanism, and gross failure of foundation materials (table 1). It is complimentary to the more directed research sponsored by the Nuclea
Authors
Carl M. Wentworth
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Reconnaissance landslide map of parts of Marin and Sonoma counties, California

No abstract available.
Authors
Carl M. Wentworth, Virgil A. Frizzell
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Landslide Hazards Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Cretaceous mafic conglomerate near Gualala offset 350 miles by San Andreas fault from oceanic crustal source near Eagle Rest Peak, California

Upper Cretaceous mafic conglomerate and quartz-plagioclase arkose that crop out on the southwest side of the San Andreas fault near Gualala, Calif., may have been eroded from a gabbroic terrane that now lies about 350 miles to the southeast, on the opposite side of the San Andreas fault. The plagioclase arkose near Gualala contains little or no K-feldspar, and the conglomerate is characterized by
Authors
Donald C. Ross, Carl M. Wentworth, Edwin D. McKee
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Preliminary geologic map of western Sonoma County and northernmost Marin County, California

No abstract available.
Authors
M. C. Blake, R. H. Wright, C. M. Wentworth
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Preliminary geologic map of the Malibu Beach Quadrangle, Los Angeles County, California

No abstract available. 
Authors
R.F. Yerkes, R. H. Campbell, B.A. Blackerby, C. M. Wentworth, P. W. Birkeland, J. E. Schoellhamer

Estimated relative abundance of landslides in the San Francisco Bay region, California

No abstract available.
Authors
D. H. Radbruch-Hall, C. M. Wentworth
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Preliminary geologic map of the Point Dume quadrangle, Los Angeles County, California

No abstract available.
Authors
R. H. Campbell, B.H. Blackerby, R.F. Yerkes, J. E. Schoellhamer, P. W. Birkeland, C. M. Wentworth

Seismic environment of the Burro Flats site, Ventura County, California: a brief, limited literature review

A limited review of available literature suggests that the maximum horizontal ground acceleration at the Burro Flats site from earthquakes in the region could range from less than 0.1 to 0.49 g. A magnitude 8 earthquake on the nearby San Andreas fault could produce ground acceleration in the range 0.18 to 0.31 g, and an expectable larger earthquake on that fault could produce larger accelerations.
Authors
Carl M. Wentworth, Manuel G. Bonilla, Jane M. Buchanan
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Structure, Quaternary history, and general geology of the Corral Canyon area, Los Angeles County, California

The Corral Canyon nuclear power plant site consists of about 305 acres near the mouth of Corral Canyon in the central Santa Monica Mountains; it is located on an east-trending segment of the Pacific Coast between Point Dume and Malibu Canyon, about 28 miles due west of Los Angeles. The Santa Monica Mountains are the southwesternmost mainland part of the Transverse Ranges province, the east-trendin
Authors
R.F. Yerkes, Carl M. Wentworth
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Science and Products

No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 69

Report of status of Reactor Hazards Research Program: fiscal years 1976-1977

The Reactor Hazards Research Program is a Geological Survey program directed at expediting the safe siting and design of power reactors in the United States through topical and regional work on major geological hazards, particularly faulting, earthquake shaking, volcanism, and gross failure of foundation materials (table 1). It is complimentary to the more directed research sponsored by the Nuclea
Authors
Carl M. Wentworth
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Reconnaissance landslide map of parts of Marin and Sonoma counties, California

No abstract available.
Authors
Carl M. Wentworth, Virgil A. Frizzell
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Landslide Hazards Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Cretaceous mafic conglomerate near Gualala offset 350 miles by San Andreas fault from oceanic crustal source near Eagle Rest Peak, California

Upper Cretaceous mafic conglomerate and quartz-plagioclase arkose that crop out on the southwest side of the San Andreas fault near Gualala, Calif., may have been eroded from a gabbroic terrane that now lies about 350 miles to the southeast, on the opposite side of the San Andreas fault. The plagioclase arkose near Gualala contains little or no K-feldspar, and the conglomerate is characterized by
Authors
Donald C. Ross, Carl M. Wentworth, Edwin D. McKee
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Preliminary geologic map of western Sonoma County and northernmost Marin County, California

No abstract available.
Authors
M. C. Blake, R. H. Wright, C. M. Wentworth
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Preliminary geologic map of the Malibu Beach Quadrangle, Los Angeles County, California

No abstract available. 
Authors
R.F. Yerkes, R. H. Campbell, B.A. Blackerby, C. M. Wentworth, P. W. Birkeland, J. E. Schoellhamer

Estimated relative abundance of landslides in the San Francisco Bay region, California

No abstract available.
Authors
D. H. Radbruch-Hall, C. M. Wentworth
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Preliminary geologic map of the Point Dume quadrangle, Los Angeles County, California

No abstract available.
Authors
R. H. Campbell, B.H. Blackerby, R.F. Yerkes, J. E. Schoellhamer, P. W. Birkeland, C. M. Wentworth

Seismic environment of the Burro Flats site, Ventura County, California: a brief, limited literature review

A limited review of available literature suggests that the maximum horizontal ground acceleration at the Burro Flats site from earthquakes in the region could range from less than 0.1 to 0.49 g. A magnitude 8 earthquake on the nearby San Andreas fault could produce ground acceleration in the range 0.18 to 0.31 g, and an expectable larger earthquake on that fault could produce larger accelerations.
Authors
Carl M. Wentworth, Manuel G. Bonilla, Jane M. Buchanan
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Structure, Quaternary history, and general geology of the Corral Canyon area, Los Angeles County, California

The Corral Canyon nuclear power plant site consists of about 305 acres near the mouth of Corral Canyon in the central Santa Monica Mountains; it is located on an east-trending segment of the Pacific Coast between Point Dume and Malibu Canyon, about 28 miles due west of Los Angeles. The Santa Monica Mountains are the southwesternmost mainland part of the Transverse Ranges province, the east-trendin
Authors
R.F. Yerkes, Carl M. Wentworth
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government

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