RAPID CITY, S.D. - The South Dakota section of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) has named South Dakota School of Mines & Technology alumnus Mark T. Anderson as 2013 J.P. Gries Geologist of the Year. Anderson, a native of South Dakota, earned an M.S. degree in civil engineering and environmental sciences in 1980 and a B.S. degree in chemistry in 1974 from the School of Mines, where he also serves as adjunct faculty member in the Department of Geology & Geological Engineering.
The award is named in honor of Dr. John Paul Gries for his exceptional work in the field of geology and is provided each year by the South Dakota Section AIPG in memory of Dr. Gries, a longtime geology professor at the School of Mines. Anderson was nominated by Dr. Perry Rahn, emeritus professor of geology and geological engineering.
Anderson currently serves as director of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) South Dakota Water Science Center in Rapid City. In this position, he is responsible for developing and overseeing a staff of scientists, engineers and technicians who conduct hydrologic investigations and data collection for ground water, surface water, and various water quality programs in the state.
During his career, Anderson has held several positions in the field of geology and hydrology. In 2011, he served as acting director of the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, the world's largest civilian storehouse of earth imagery. While there, he played an important role in the Landsat 8 satellite mission as he worked with other key USGS, EROS and NASA personnel. The satellite was recently launched this past February and was successfully placed into Earth's orbit. Since 1972, Landsat satellites have continuously acquired space-based images of the Earth's land surface, coastal shallows and coral reefs.
Anderson has made many other exceptional contributions to the field of geology and hydrology, a few of which are listed below.
- Co-author of USGS Circular 1261 titled "Water availability for the Western United States--Key scientific challenges"
- First to instrument the Madison water table in Wind Cave and Brooks Cave, and correlating the water table fluctuations in Brooks Cave with Rapid Creek discharge
- Led many of the research projects related to the 1996 Controlled Flood of the Grand Canyon
- Authored a chapter on US Water Policy with the President's Science Advisor Dr. Neal Lane in 2003 that set the stage for a national program on water availability
- Furthered the understanding of the 1972 Black Hills flood through speeches, community activities, and installation of high water markers throughout Rapid City and Keystone
- Supported thesis topics for many School of Mines graduate students, several of whom have gone on to become USGS employees
- Appointed by the director of the US Geological Survey, Dr. Marcia McNutt, to serve as chairman of the Yellowstone River Compact Commission beginning in 2010
- Recipient of the US Department of Interior's Cooperative Conservation Award for hydrology work in the Upper San Pedro River, Arizona
- Founder and president of the Little Spearfish Conservation and Historical Preservation Association
Previous J.P. Gries award recipients include State Geologist Derric Iles and Dr. Mark Fahrenbach of the South Dakota DENR's Geological Survey Program, Fred Steece of DENR's Minerals and Mining Program, and Drs. James Fox, Alvis Lisenbee, J. Foster Sawyer, Perry H. Rahn, Jack Redden and Edward Duke of the School of Mines.