Christina Lochman-Balk

Dr.
Christina Lochman-Balk
Ph.D
Born (1907-10-08)October 8, 1907
Died March 8, 2006(2006-03-08) (aged 98)
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Residence New Mexico
Nationality American
Citizenship American
Education Ph.D. Paleontology
Known for Cambrian Biostratigraphy
Spouse(s) Dr. Robert Balk
Scientific career
Fields Paleontology
Institutions New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Christina Lochman-Balk (born October 8, 1907) was a female American geologist who specialized in the study of Paleozoic era fossils, formerly known as Cambrian Paleontology. Lochman specifically dealt with Cambrian trilobites and invertebrates. Along with her research Lochman also served as a lecturer and professor at universities such as Mount Holyoke, University of Chicago and the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.[1]

Education and teaching career

After graduating from High School Lochman-Balk attended Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts gaining both A Bachelor's and Master's degree in Geology. She later went on to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland where she received her Ph.D. in 1933. Unlike many women during this time Lochman-Balk sought to better herself via post-secondary education.[1] After completing her university studies Lochman-Balk accepted teaching positions in the faculty of geology at Mount Holyoke women's college, it was during her time at Mount Holyoke (1935-1947) that Lochman-Balk was promoted and recognized as an associate professor, making her one of the few females to accomplish such a feat as during this period these positions and the faculty of geology itself was dominated heavily by males.[1] In 1947 Lochman-Balk moved her career to the University of Chicago as her husband and fellow geologist Robert-Balk was a professor of geology.[2][3]

Lochman-Balk was unable to keep her designation of associate professor that she previously held at Mount Holyoke at the University of Chicago because it would violate contemporary nepotism rules. This is because if she was given such a high title on her immediate arrival to the university other staff members may believe it was a result of her close relationship with a current professor (her husband Robert Balk) and not based on her merit as a geologist.[2] After her short stint at the University of Chicago, in 1952 Christina Lochman-Balk moved to Socorro, New Mexico as her husband was offered a job at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology as a member of the State Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources. Christina also worked for the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology where she was a lecturer however Lochman-Balk was also given the title of "Dean of Women" which gave her the responsibility of monitoring and coordinating the activities and concerns of female students attending the institution.[3] Following her move to New Mexico Lochman-Balk suffered the tragic loss of her husband Robert on February 19, 1955 when the plane he was travelling on mysteriously crashed into the Domingo Baca Canyon rock spire known as Dragon’s tooth.[4]

After her husband's death Christina Lochman-Balk continued her work as a lecturer at the New Mexico Institute of Technology and Mining until she became a full professor and the head of the geology department in 1957.[2] Lochman-Balk's colleague Clay T. Smith stated that because of her Notoriety in the fields of geology and paleontology Lochman-Balk heightened the prestige of the program immediately. This allowed the department to provide more students with the opportunity to receive a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences.[1] Christina Lochman-Balk retired from New Mexico Tech in 1972 later serving 2 years as a strategic geologist for the New Mexico Bureau of Mines. Upon her retirement New Mexico Tech honored Lochman-balk with the title of emerita professor, a designation given only to female professors who made distinguished contributions to academia.[2][3]

Research

Intermittently throughout Lochman-Balk's career as a geologist she researched differing aspects of Cambrian era paleontology, geology and stratigraphy throughout the United States including Missouri, Texas, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Newfoundland as well as the Taconic region in New York and the Caborca region of Mexico. Lochman-Balk's vast knowledge of Cambrian era trilobites gave her the opportunity to contribute to a variety of journals and publications in the field of Biology these include but are not limited to the Treatise on invertebrate paleontology in 1959,[1] Cambrian biostratigraphy of North America in 1958[5] and the Upper Cambrian Faunal Patterns on the Craton in 1970.[6]

An artistic depiction of a Trilobite

Geological era of study

The fauna Lochman-Balk studied are mainly from the Cambrian era.[7] Within this time frame, there are the Upper, Middle and Lower Cambrian eras. In the mountains of Montana, she studied mainly the Upper Cambrian era's fauna and some of the Middle Cambrian fauna as well.[8] The Cambrian era being approximately 541 to 505 million years ago.[9] Her research also came across fauna from the Lower Ordovician era.

Location of study

The Cambrian fauna sequences appear across North America and Europe.[10] Though Lochman- Balk studied the Cambrian faunas from all over Western North America, she focused her research on the Little Rocky Mountains of Montana. Specifically, she looked along the Lodge Pole Creek section of the mountains because of an exposed Upper Cambrian Sequence and the presence of Middle Cambrian sequences.[11] Due to the rarity of the occurrence of the fossils in the Cambrian sequences, the limited direct exposure to the faunas and the easy damage to the shells of the fossils, they can be very hard to find.[12]

Discoveries made

After many studies of different basins throughout North America,[13][5][14][6] Lochman-Balk was able to relate fossilized deadwood,[13] and Cambrian fossil layers (e.g. trilobites, brachiopods) in various river basins, establishing a common chronology between the areas. While working at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology[15] Lochman-Balk worked with James Lee Wilson in establishing a generalized description, and timeline of the Cambrian era biostratigraphy in areas of North America.[5] During this same work they discovered that the fauna during the late and middle Cambrian era's did not have such a contrasting evolutionary spike as that found in the late Dresbachian, and Franconian era's.[5] This being the case they were able to establish that the fossils have remained unchanged for a long-time period. This set of characteristics makes it hard to establish a more precise timeline[16] than could be developed with fossils found in the late Dresbachian and Franconian era's. That being said, the widespread distribution of Cambrian era fossils across North America[5] made them a helpful index fossil. As more places were discovered that contained the fossils, it became easier to give context to the entire biostratigraphy in those areas.

Social controversy

During the era in which Lochman-Balk's career took place (1933-1972) Women were beginning to enter nontraditional professions and striving to succeed in fields dominated by men. Balk through her merit was able to rise through the ranks and continually achieve titles and recognition that few women had ever received in the field of Geology. Lochman-Balk like many female professionals faced her fair share of obstacles including demotions because of unjust rules or practises (such as the contemporary nepotism rules) that suggested a woman wouldn't be able to attain a high-ranking position without the help or influence of a man.[3][2] Despite her obstacles Lochman-Balk achieved great success and acclaim within the fields of geology and paleontology being elected a fellow of both the" American Association for the Advancement of Science" and the "Geological Society of America". In 1996 Lochman-Balk was recognized for her contribution to paleontology receiving the "Presidents Citation" from the paleontology society.[3][2][1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Love, Jane C. (August 2006). "In Memory of Christina Lochman-Balk 1907–2006" (PDF). geoinfo.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wayne, Tiffany K. (2011). American Women of Science Since 1900. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781598841589.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Ogilvie, Marilyn Bailey; Harvey, Joy Dorothy (2000). The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science: L-Z. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9780415920407.
  4. ↑ "TWA Canyon Domingo Baca Canyon". www.hkhinc.com. Retrieved 2017-10-11.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Lochman-Balk, Christina; Wilson, James Lee (1958). "Cambrian Biostratigraphy in North America". Journal of Paleontology. 32 (2): 312–350. doi:10.2307/1300738. JSTOR 1300738.
  6. 1 2 LOCHMAN-BALK, CHRISTINA (1970-11-01). "Upper Cambrian Faunal Patterns on the Craton". GSA Bulletin. 81 (11). doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1970)81[3197:UCFPOT]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0016-7606.
  7. ↑ Lochman-Balk and Wilson, Christina and James Lee (March 1958). "Journal 1". Journal of Paleontology. 32: 312–350.
  8. ↑ Lochman-Balk, Christina (May 1950). "Journal 2". Journal of Paleontology. 24: 322–349.
  9. ↑ Hansen, Michael C. (May 1998). "The Geology of Ohio - The Cambrian" (PDF). Ohio Department of Natural Resources. 20: 1–2.
  10. ↑ Lochman-Balk and Wilson, Christina and James Lee (March 1958). "Journal 4". Journal of Paleontology. 32: 312–350.
  11. ↑ Lochman-Balk, Christina (May 1950). "Journal 5". Journal of Paleontology. 24: 322–349.
  12. ↑ Lochman-Balk and Wilson, Christina and James Lee (March 1958). "Journal 6". Journal of Paleontology. 32: 312–350.
  13. 1 2 Christina Lochman-Balk (2), James L; (2), Christina Lochman-Balk; L, James (1967). "Stratigraphy of Upper Cambrian-Lower Ordovician Subsurface Sequence in Williston Basin". AAPG Bulletin. 51 (6). doi:10.1306/5d25c0fb-16c1-11d7-8645000102c1865d. ISSN 0149-1423.
  14. ↑ Lochman-Balk, Christina (1955). "Cambrian Stratigraphy of the South and West Margins of Green River Basin".
  15. ↑ "New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology". www.nmt.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-11.
  16. ↑ O'Brien, Michael J.; Lyman, R. Lee (1999-07-31). Seriation, Stratigraphy, and Index Fossils: The Backbone of Archaeological Dating. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9780306461521.
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