Ralph J. Roberts (geologist)


Ralph Jackson Roberts was an American geologist and research scientist with the USGS. He is credited with the discovery of the Carlin and Battle Mountain Gold Belts, which make up the richest gold-mining region in Nevada as well as the United States.

Early life

Roberts grew up in eastern Washington, and earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Washington in Seattle. His PhD research, which he conducted at Yale University, defined the Antler orogeny, a major mountain-building episode in the late Paleozoic.

USGS work

During World War II Roberts lived in Central America, where he had been sent to discover and conduct fundamental research on strategic minerals. After the war he returned to the United States; for the next 40 years he worked in Nevada and Utah, deciphering the geologic history of major mountain ranges and exploring mineral deposits.
In 1960, Roberts published a paper that predicted the existence of important mineral-bearing rocks in Nevada. Roberts' research led to the discovery of the Carlin and Cortez-Battle Mountain gold belts. These two mining districts now represent the richest gold region in the United States, and one of the leading gold producing regions of the world.
During the 1970s he spent six years in Saudi Arabia, mapping ore deposits and contributing to the development of the Arabian mining industry. He retired from the USGS in 1981, but continued his mineral exploration in Nevada for over two decades.

Honors and awards

In 2002, Roberts published his autobiography, entitled A Passion for Gold.