John (Jack) Weihaupt

Emeritus Professor
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1973

Areas of Interest:

Oceanography, Astrogeology, Polar Studies, Geophysics

Research

Dr. Weihaupt's interests have revolved primarily around geologic and geophysical fieldwork, university-based research and teaching, and university administration. The fieldwork has been mainly in Newfoundland, South America (the Andes and the Atacama Desert), the Arctic, and the Antarctic. These activities have involved, specifically, nonferrous metals exploration, extensive geologic field mapping, petroleum exploration, a full range of geophysical techniques, underground mapping and exploration, continental ice sheet studies, subglacial topographic studies, glaciology, historic changes in ice covers, meteorite impact phenomena, and Martian impact and planetary fluvial features.

As co-discoverer of the Wilkes Land (Gravity) Anomaly, research has focused upon one of the largest (240 km diameter) potential impact craters on Earth. As discoverer of the glaciological significance of the Orontius Finaeus Map of 1531, the likely discovery date of the Antarctic continent has been demonstrated to have been three centuries earlier than previously supposed. Current research is focused upon the emergence of Nature's complexity from ultimate symmetry. Mt. Weihaupt, in Victoria Land, Antarctica, has been named in recognition of Dr. Weihaupt's contributions to polar exploration and research; and he is a recipient of the Madisonian Medal, and several other awards.

Select Publications

Weihaupt, J.G. and A.W. Stuart, 2000, Future global coastline changes implied in historic archives, Periodicum Biologorum, 102: 439-448.

Weihaupt, J.G. and A. Rice, 2000, Antarctic glacier tongue recession: causes, rates, and implications, 31st International Geological Congress PrAugust 14, 2008aupt, J.G. and A. Rice, 2000, Antarctic coastline variability: dramatic regional decline, 29th International Geographical Congress, Seoul, Korea.

Weihaupt, J.G., 1998, Ice sheet disintegration evidence for a higher world-wide sea level stand. Littoral 1998. Barcelona, Spain.
 
Weihaupt, J.G., 1994, Evolution and extinction, Proceedings of AAAS-94, American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meetings, San Francisco, (also available on disc/tape).
 
Weihaupt, J.G., 1984, Historic cartographic evidence for Holocene changes in Antarctic ice cover, EOS, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, v. 65, no. 35, p. 493-501.
 
Weihaupt, J.G., 1979, Randomness in Nature: an examination of the distribution of selected geomorphic features on Alaskan floodplains, International Geography, Geomorphology and Paleogeography, v. 1, Pergamon Press, Elmsford Park, New York.
 
Weihaupt, J.G., 1979, Exploration of the Oceans: An Introduction to Oceanography, The MacMillan Company, New York, 589 p.
 
Weihaupt, J.G., 1979, Possible origin and probable discharges of meandering channels on the planet Mars, Journal of Geophysical Research, Reprinted in Benchmark Papers in Geology: The Geology of the Planet Mars, v. 48, Vivien Gornits (ed.), Dowden, Hutchison and Ross, Inc., Stroudsburg, PA, p. 196-200.
 
Weihaupt, J.G., 1976, The Wilkes Land Anomaly: evidence for a possible hypervelocity impact crater, Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 81, no. 29, p. 5651-5663.

Photo Gallery

Dr. Weihaupt in Victoria Land, Antarctica