Celebrating 100 Years of Discovery at DTM: 1904 to 2004
| 1902 | Links | |
Louis A. Bauer submits proposal to establish an "international magnetic bureau" to coordinate research and conduct surveys in unexplored regions | ||
| 1903 | J. P. Ault: A Scientist at Sea (online exhibition) | |
Carnegie Board of Trustees approve proposal and allocate $20,000 for the first year's operations; Bauer named Director | A History of DTM vs. GL Mud Cup Games | |
| 1904 | ||
In conformity with the authority conveyed in the Secretary's letter of March 29, 1904, the work of the [Department of International Research in Terrestrial Magnetism] was begun on April 1, 1904, and since then has been steadily prosecuted.- L. A. Bauer in the 1904 CIW Year Book | ||
| 1905 |
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First land magnetic expeditions dispatched |
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| 1905 | ||
Magnetic survey of the Pacific begun using the chartered vessel Galilee | ||
| 1907 | ||
Name shortened to "Department of Terrestrial Magnetism" | ||
| 1909 | ||
Launch of non-magnetic yacht Carnegie | ||
| 1911 - 1913 | ||
Participation in Australasian Antarctic Expedition | ||
| 1913 | ||
Experimental studies of magnetism and atmospheric electricity begin | ||
| 1914 | ||
DTM moves to Broad Branch Road site | ||
| 1915 - 1916 | ||
Carnegie circumnavigates Antarctica in a single season | ||
| 1917 - 1918 | ||
Staff conduct research on magnetic compasses for aircraft, anti-submarine devices, and magnetic mines during WWI | ||
| 1918 - 1925 | ||
Collaboration with Roald Amundsen on Maud Expedition | ||
| 1919 | ||
Watheroo Magnetic Observatory established by DTM in Western Australia | ||
| 1920 | ||
Experiment Building constructed | ||
| 1921 | ||
Carnegie decommissioned at the conclusion of Cruise VI | ||
| 1921 - 1924 | ||
Temporary "igloo" observatories built on Baffin Island and Greenland during MacMillan Bowdoin expeditions | ||
| 1922 | ||
Huancayo Magnetic Observatory established in Peru | ||
| 1925 | ||
Height of the ionosphere measured using pulsed radio signals | ||
| 1927 | ||
Carnegie recommissioned and refitted for comprehensive oceanographic research on Cruise VII | ||
| 1928 | ||
High-voltage studies begin, using Tesla Coil as a particle accelerator | ||
| 1929 | ||
Carnegie destroyed by explosion and fire in Apia, Samoa, November 29; Captain Ault killed | ||
| 1930 | ||
Studies of radiation effects on lab animals and establishment of useful standards for radiation exposure | ||
| 1931 | ||
DTM participates in Nautilus Polar Expedition, first attempt to travel by submarine beneath Arctic ice-pack | ||
| 1932 | ||
Formation of "Committee on Coordination of Cosmic Ray Investigations" centralized at DTM | ||
| 1932 - 1933 | ||
International Polar Year stations set up at Fairbanks and Point Barrow, Alaska | ||
| 1932 | ||
Atomic physics group abandons use of Tesla Coil, turns to Van de Graaff generators | ||
| 1933 | ||
Experiment Building extension built to house 2-meter Van de Graaff | ||
| 1934 | ||
| Systematic monitoring of cosmic-rays begins, using Compton-Bennett meters | ||
| 1935 | ||
| First of ten Washington Conferences on Theoretical Physics, co-sponsored by George Washington University and DTM | ||
| 1935 | ||
| Studies of proton-proton scattering lead to an understanding of strong nuclear force | ||
| 1935 | ||
| Multi-frequency automatic ionospheric sounder built, becomes international standard | ||
| 1935 | ||
| Manned balloon Explorer II carries DTM electrical conductivity experiments into the stratosphere | ||
| 1937 | ||
| Appointment of first DTM postdoctoral fellow, physicist R. B. Roberts | ||
| 1937 | ||
| Discovery of Forbush effect (cosmic-ray intensity decrease during magnetic storms) | ||
| 1938 | ||
| Atomic Physics Observatory (APO), a 3 million-volt, pressure-tank, Van de Graaf accelerator, becomes operational | ||
| 1939 | ||
| Uranium atom split at APO on January 28 with Bohr and Fermi present, following 5th Washington Conference on Theoretical Physics | ||
| 1939 | ||
| Delayed neutron from uranium fission discovered | ||
| 1939 | ||
| Tuve named to President Roosevelt's Uranium Committee | ||
| 1940 | ||
| Proximity fuse development begins | ||
| 1940 | ||
| Research Associates S. Chapman and J. Bartels publish classic treatise Geomagnetism | ||
| 1941 | ||
| College Observatory (forerunner of today's University of Alaska Geophysical Institute) established in Fairbanks as a joint DTM-U. Alaska facility | ||
| 1942 | ||
| Fuze research and development transferred to Applied Physics Laboratory; 22 million fuzes manufactured by War's end | ||
| 1943 - 1944 | ||
| Global network of ionosphere stations set up for wartime radio propagation studies | ||
| 1943 | ||
| Cyclotron produces first beam, New Year's Eve; radioisotopes produced for biomedical research | ||
| 1946 | ||
| Merle A. Tuve succeeds Fleming as Director and initiates modern DTM research directions in seismology, geochronology, and radio astronomy; geomagnetism research terminated With the completion of many volumes of survey and observatory results, and the transfer of the observatories to other agencies, the Department during this report year has begun to function effectively as a physics department with special research interests in geophysics and in laboratory physics....A deliberate aim to work as physicists, in reasonably fresh areas, on significant problems, however difficult and on problems directed toward philosophical goals without reference to possible applications, is the general policy adopted for guiding the selection and emphasis of the work carried forward. -Merle A. Tuve, Year Book #47 (1947-1948) | ||
| 1946 | ||
| Expansion of rock magnetism studies | ||
| 1947 | ||
| Derwood (Maryland) Field Station established for ionospheric, cosmic-ray, and (later) radio astronomy work | ||
| 1947 | ||
| Lunch Club established | ||
| 1947 - 1948 | ||
| "Project Thunderstorm" measures air conductivity and potential gradient from B-29 bombers | ||
| 1948 | ||
| Explosion seismology experiments begin, using war-surplus explosives; first shots in New Mexico and Chesapeake Bay region | ||
| 1949 | ||
| Biophysics group begins studies of biosynthesis in E. coli bacteria | ||
| 1950 | ||
| Mass spectrometry applied to geochronology in collaboration with Geophysical Lab | ||
| 1951 | ||
| DTM-GL seismic expedition to Canada | ||
| 1952 | ||
| Coulomb excitation opens new avenues for nuclear structure studies | ||
| 1952 | ||
| Installation of DTM's first radio telescope, a 7.5-meter German radar dish, for studies of galactic hydrogen | ||
| 1953 | ||
| Application of ion-exchange resins to chemical separation in geochronology | ||
| 1954 | ||
| "Committee on Electronic Image Converters for Telescopes" begins work | ||
| 1955 | ||
| Discovery of radio emissions from Jupiter | ||
| 1956 | ||
| "Concordia" method makes U-Pb age determination accurate | ||
| 1957 | ||
| Seismic expedition to Andes during International Geophysical Year, with shots fired in open-pit copper mines in Peru and Chile; first use of NSF funds for DTM field work | ||
| 1958 | ||
| Paleomagnetism studies terminated | ||
| 1959 | ||
| Control of Journal of Geophysical Research, edited and published at DTM since 1904, transferred to the American Geophysical Union | ||
| 1960 | ||
| 18-meter radio astronomy dish installed at Derwood | ||
| 1960 - 1961 | ||
| Cooperative network of seismic stations established in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile | ||
| 1961 | ||
| Polarized ion source installed in APO | ||
| 1962 | ||
| 2-meter Van de Graaff donated to Smithsonian Institution | ||
| 1963 | ||
| Agar column technique devised, transforming microbiology | ||
| 1963 | ||
| Lake Superior seismic experiment involves 14 groups from 5 nations | ||
| 1963 | ||
| "Carnegie Earthquake Seminar" brings South American researchers to DTM | ||
| 1963 - 1964 | ||
| Recognition of long-lived isotope systems as tracers of geological processes | ||
| 1964 - 1965 | ||
| 30-meter radio astronomy dishes erected at Derwood and La Plata, Argentina | ||
| 1964 | ||
| Installation of "Carnegie image tubes" begins at observatories worldwide | ||
| 1965 | ||
| East Coast Onshore-Offshore Experiment probes the Appalachian crustal structure | ||
| 1966 | ||
| Ellis T. Bolton becomes fourth Director; L. T. Aldrich named Associate Director | ||
| 1966 | ||
| First non-human computer, an IBM 1130, installed at DTM | ||
| 1966 | ||
| Broad-band seismograph developed | ||
| 1968 | ||
| Sacks-Evertson borehole strainmeters developed | ||
| 1968 | ||
New "geochemistry" designation reflects geochronology group's growing interest in isotopes as tracers | ||
| 1971 | ||
| First strainmeter installed on DTM campus, at Matsushiro, Japan | ||
| 1971 | ||
| First plate tectonic model for formation and evolution of the Andes | ||
| 1972 | ||
| Carnegie sponsors Airlie House Conference on "Plate Tectonics and the Evolution of Continents" | ||
| 1973 | ||
| Carnegie sponsors Airlie House Conference on "Geochemical Transport and Kinetics," marking push to understanding diffusion and its role in geochemistry | ||
| 1973 | ||
| Project Nariño, a multi-national explosion seismic project, confirms complexity of Andean crustal structure | ||
| 1974 | ||
| George W. Wetherill becomes DTM's fifth Director, brings research direction in theoretical Solar System evolution and cosmochemistry to DTM | ||
| 1974 - 1976 | ||
| Biophysics group phased out | ||
| 1975 | ||
| Operation of Van de Graaff accelerator and radio telescopes terminated | ||
| 1975 | ||
| Rb-Sr mantle isochrons show continental mantle is both different and old | ||
| 1976 | ||
| DTM Dynamos meet Geophysical Lab (GL) Pistons in the soccer field; Dynamos prevail 4-0 | ||
| 1977 | ||
| Geochemistry proposed as a way to constrain mantle circulation | ||
| 1978 | ||
| Discovery of slow/silent earthquakes enabled the array of strainmeters in Japan | ||
| 1978 | ||
| Evidence of dark matter found from galaxy rotation curves | ||
| 1979 | ||
| Identification of role of subducted oceanic crust in mantle evolution | ||
| 1979 | ||
| Strainmeters installed in Iceland | ||
| 1983 | ||
| Purchase of commercial multicollector mass spectrometer | ||
| 1984 | ||
| Carnegie fosters organization of PASSCAL seismic consortium | ||
| 1984 | ||
| Carnegie becomes founding member of Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) | ||
| 1985 | ||
| Observations of very young stars and star-forming regions begin | ||
| 1986 | ||
| Beryllium-10 studies demonstrate sediment involvement in subduction | ||
| 1986 - 1987 | ||
| Mass spectrometer altered for laser ionization; research using Re-Os system initiated | ||
| 1988 | ||
| First results on fossil anisotropy in the mantle | ||
| 1988 | ||
| Penetrative convection proposed to explain both geochemistry and geophysics mantle | ||
| 1989 | ||
| Ground broken for New Research Building on January 30 | ||
| 1989 | ||
| First deployment of DTM portable seismic array in "APT89 Experiment," 1500-km transect across US and Canada | ||
| 1990 | ||
| Geophysical Laboratory moves to Broad Branch Road Campus | ||
| 1991 | ||
| Wetherill retires; Louis Brown named Acting Director | ||
| 1992 | ||
| Sean C. Solomon becomes DTM's sixth Director | ||
| 1992 - 1999 | ||
| Brazilian Lithosphere Seismic Project employs 20+ portable broadband stations in joint DTM-University of São Paulo study | ||
| 1993 | ||
| First strainmeter study of volcanic eruptive processes | ||
| 1994 - 2001 | ||
| Collaboration in Hubble Space Telescope key project on Cepheid variables refines distance scale of the universe | ||
| 1995 - 1996 | ||
| Ion Microprobe Laboratory built in former cyclotron vault; cosmochemistry strengthened in research program | ||
| 1996 | ||
| "Mud Cup I" rekindles DTM-GL soccer rivalry | ||
| 1996 | ||
| Research effort on Planetary volatiles and interplanetary and interstellar grains begins with ion probe | ||
| 1997 | ||
| Hubble Space Telescope photos of "Antennae" galaxies bring national attention to work on merging galaxies | ||
| 1997 | ||
| Automation of ion probes to hunt for isotopically anomalous interstellar grains | ||
| 1997 - 1998 | ||
| Acquisition of inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometers | ||
| 1997 | ||
| Undergraduate summer intern program begins in collaboration with GL | ||
| 1997 - 2012 | ||
| Kaapvaal Craton Project brings seismologists and geochemists together in multinational, multidisciplinary study of southern Africa's cratons | ||
| 1998 | ||
| Carnegie becomes founding member of NASA Astrobiology Institute | ||
| 1998 | ||
| Identification of extra-Solar System oxide grains from supernova | ||
| 1998 | ||
| Feasibility of using Re-Os on sulfide inclusions in diamonds demonstrated | ||
| 1999 | ||
| DTM enters search for extrasolar planets, complementing ongoing theoretical work in planet formation | ||
| 1999 | ||
| Two borehole geophysical observatories installed in ocean bottom off Tohoku, Japan | ||
| 1999 | ||
| First transit of an extrasolar planet detected around HD 209458 | ||
| 2000 | ||
| Strainmeters predict eruption at Hekla | ||
| 2001 - 2003 | ||
| Astronomy group changes its focus to planets and the Solar System | ||
| 2002 | ||
| First volcano-specific strainmeter deployment captures Montserrat dome collapse | ||
| 2004 | ||
| Launch of MESSENGER spacecraft to Mercury on August 3, a joint Carnegie-APL-NASA mission | ||
| 2004 | ||
| Discovery of Neptune-mass exoplanets | ||
| Features | ||
| DTM History Book | ||
| DTM Centennial Keepsakes |