Spry, Paul

Profile Picture
Email Address
pgspry@iastate.edu
Birth Date
Title
Professor Emeritus
Academic or Administrative Unit
Organizational Unit
Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate

The Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate offers majors in three areas: Geology (traditional, environmental, or hydrogeology, for work as a surveyor or in mineral exploration), Meteorology (studies in global atmosphere, weather technology, and modeling for work as a meteorologist), and Earth Sciences (interdisciplinary mixture of geology, meteorology, and other natural sciences, with option of teacher-licensure).

History
The Department of Geology and Mining was founded in 1898. In 1902 its name changed to the Department of Geology. In 1965 its name changed to the Department of Earth Science. In 1977 its name changed to the Department of Earth Sciences. In 1989 its name changed to the Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences. In 2024, its name changed to the Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate.

Dates of Existence
1898-present

Historical Names

  • Department of Geology and Mining (1898-1902)
  • Department of Geology (1902-1965)
  • Department of Earth Science (1965-1977)
  • Department of Earth Sciences (1977-1989)
  • Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences (1989-2024)

Related Units

About
Dr. Spry retired from ISU in 2014 after 41 years (now professor Emeritus). He continues to focus his research efforts on the geology, mineralogy, and geochemistry of epizonal (shallow) and mesozonal (deep) gold-silver telluride deposits, the effects of metamorphism on ore deposits, and the mineralogy of various type of metallic mineral deposits. His research projects have involved field studies in Greece, Italy, Australia, Sweden, South Africa, Norway, Peru, Fiji, Turkey, and the USA. Geochemical applications to ore genesis studies have included stable isotopes (S, C, O, Te, Zn, Cd), geochronology (U-Pb, Re-Os, Nd-Sm), fluid inclusion studies, and the use of various analytical tools to determine mineral compositions.

Publications