M. KING HUBBERT: STUDENT OF THE EARTH

M. King Hubbert (1903-1989) revolutionized our understanding of the role fluids in Earth processes, particularly in the fields of groundwater hydrology, petroleum geology, tectonophysics, and structural geology. But, Hubbert’s interest in the Earth was far more profound. He was interested in the Earth as a whole, its material composition, its place in the solar system, its history and its evolving biological system. His life’s work is a combination of meticulous application of science to clearly understand fundamental Earth processes, and the understanding of the interrelationships between science and our technological society. His distinguished career combined education, industry, and the Government. In education, he passionately argued for sound training in the basic sciences as a prerequisite to clearly understand Earth processes. In the industry, he revolutionized the methods of oil exploration through innovative application of elementary physical principles to Earth systems. In the Government, he vigorously argued for a wise use of the Earth resources of minerals, fuels, and water, giving due consideration to the fact that these resources are finite, and depletable. He was a forceful personality, and showed little patience with what he considered to be shoddy science. As one gets acquainted with Hubbert’s contributions, one is impressed by the breadth of his scholarship, his exceptional gift for drawing far-reaching inferences from already known ideas, and fierce adherence to the scientific method. As an introduction to this topical session commemorating Hubbert’s birth centennial, this paper will attempt to provide some thoughts on what Hubbert did, and how he went about achieving what he did.