RECOLLECTIONS OF RAYMOND C. MOORE BY A "CLASSROOM" STUDENT

Ray Moore, had a profound influence on my career in many ways although I only took two courses with him. He advised students that to be a success in geology you “go into an uncrowded field”. I did (Clastic Sedimentology in the late 1950's) and he was right! He also, through his unique style which some found intimidating, made one realize the urgency of “doing one's homework.” He also advised me during a field course how to take better care of my health.

Scientifically, Moore is known best for his contributions to paleontology, but he developed a unique insight into the origins of cyclothems which was later rediscovered by Walter Pittman. Moore argued that the world's oceans were characterized by a constant volume of water, and that tectonic forces changed sea-floor topography (and accommodation) and caused sea level to rise and fall cyclically.

In 1978, Walter Pittman published an acclaimed paper using the same assumption of a constant volume of ocean water. Changes in sea-floor spreading rates controlled sea level changes. Pittman proposed that with high rates of spreading, the lateral distribution of high heat-flow areas along mid-ocean ridges would elevate the ocean floor over wider areas. That process displaced sea water onto land causing third order sea level changes. These sea-level changes were far-longer term than for cyclothems, but Moore's insights into the importance of changing geometries of ocean basins to control sea level change is a major antecedent for Pittman's contribution.