Robert W. Decker

Robert Wayne Decker (Williamsport, Pennsylvania, 11 March 1927 – Mariposa, California, 11 June 2005) was an American volcanologist.

Life

He studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (B.Sc. in 1949, M.Sc. in 1951) and Colorado School of Mines (D.Sc. in 1953 about the Ruby Mountains, Nevada). He worked at Bethlehem Steel (1949–50), New World Exploration Company (1952–54), University of Illinois (1954), Dartmouth College (1954–79) and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (1979–84). He moved to California in 1984. He established the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes (CSAV) at the University of Hawaii at Hilo in 1989.

He was president of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI, 1975–79). He was married to Barbara Decker since 1950 and had 4 children. She is journalist and manages the 'Double Decker Press'. The Deckers published 15 books about volcanoes and national parks at this publishing house.

Selected publications

• Volcanism in Hawaii: Papers to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO)
  • Robert W. Decker; Thomas L. Wright; Peter H. Stauffer, eds. (1987). Volcanism in Hawaii. Volume 1: Physiography, Tectonics, and Submarine Geology. Geology of the Island of Hawaii. Petrogenesis and Volcanic Gases. U. S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1350 (397 MB PDF). 
  • Thomas L. Wright; Peter H. Stauffer; Robert W. Decker, eds. (1987). Volcanism in Hawaii. Volume 2: Structure, Dynamics, History of Investigations of Hawaiian Volcanism. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1350 (339 MB PDF). 
• Robert Decker, Barbara Decker (1991) Mountains of Fire. The Nature of Volcanoes, Cambridge University Press
• Robert Decker (April 1, 1993) Von Pompeji zum Pinatubo - Die Urgewalt der Vulkane, Basel: Birkhäuser, 1 ed., ISBN 978-3764327972
• Robert Decker, Barbara Decker (2001) Volcanoes in America´s National Parks, Odyssey Guides
• Robert Decker, Barbara Decker (2005) Volcanoes, San Francisco: Freeman, 4 ed., ISBN 978-0716789291

• Double Decker Press
  • Robert Decker, Barbara Decker (2007) Road Guide to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Double Decker Press, 6 ed., pp. 48, ISBN 978-1888898118
  • Robert Decker, Barbara Decker (2007) Road Guide to Haleakala and the Hana Highway , Double Decker Press, 3 ed., pp. 48, ISBN 978-1888898125
  • Robert Decker, Barbara Decker (2006) Road Guide to Joshua Tree National Park, Double Decker Press, 3 ed., pp. 48, ISBN 978-1888898101
  • Robert Decker, Barbara Decker (2004) Road Guide to Death Valley National Park, Double Decker Press, updated ed., pp. 48, ISBN 978-1888898088
  • Robert Decker, Barbara Decker (2004) Road Guide to Crater Lake National Park, Double Decker Press, 3 ed., pp. 48, ISBN 978-1888898095
  • Robert Decker, Barbara Decker (2002) Road Guide to Mount St. Helens, Double Decker Press, updated ed., pp. 48, ISBN 978-1888898064
  • Robert Decker, Barbara Decker (1997) Road Guide to Lassen Volcanic National Park, Double Decker Press, 1 ed., pp. 48, ISBN 978-1888898026
  • Robert Decker, Barbara Decker (1996) Road Guide to Mount Rainier National Park, Double Decker Press, pp. 48, ISBN 1888898003

References

• William I Rose (April 2006). "To Robert W. Decker 1927–2005". Bulletin of Volcanology 68 (5): 405–406. doi:10.1007/s00445-005-0038-1. 
• "Robert W. Decker". Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes (CSAV), University of Hawaii at Hilo. Retrieved 2014-10-14. 
• "Robert W. Decker, 1927 - 2005, left many legacies at HVO". U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Retrieved 2014-10-14. 
• Thomson Gale (2004) "American Men and Women of Science".