Richard Gilbert West facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Gilbert West FRS
Alma mater	Clare College
Scientific career
Fields	botany, geology, palaeontology

Richard Gilbert West (born May 31, 1926 – died December 30, 2020) was an important British scientist. He studied plants (a botanist), rocks and Earth's history (a geologist), and ancient life forms like fossils (a palaeontologist). He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a very respected group of scientists.

Richard West's Journey

Richard West started his career at 18 years old in 1944. He joined the Army and spent some time in India. When he came back to England, he went to Clare College at Cambridge University in 1948. There, he began studying Botany (the study of plants) and Geology (the study of Earth's rocks and history).

Choosing His Path

Even though he thought about focusing on Geology, Richard decided to study Botany. He did very well, earning top marks. As a student doing research, he worked with Professor Harry Godwin. Richard studied ancient lake deposits at a place called Hoxne in Suffolk. He looked at the layers of soil and rocks (this is called stratigraphy) and tiny plant pollen (this is called palynology). This helped him understand what the climate and environment were like during the Middle Pleistocene period, which was a time of ice ages and warmer periods.

Becoming a Professor

Richard earned his PhD degree in 1954. Soon after, he became a Fellow at Clare College, Cambridge. This means he was a special member of the college. In 1960, he became a teacher (lecturer) in the Botany Department. He later became the Director of the Quaternary Research Subdepartment in 1966. This department studies the most recent geological period, which includes the ice ages. In 1977, he became a full Professor of Botany at Cambridge University.

Awards and Recognition

Because of his important work, Richard West was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1968. This is one of the highest honors for a scientist in the UK. He also received many awards and medals for his research. These included the Lyell and Bigsby medals from the Geological Society. He retired from his work in 1991.

His Research and Impact

Throughout his career, Richard West was very interested in Quaternary Science. This field looks at the last 2.6 million years of Earth's history. He especially focused on the geology of Britain during this time.

Studying Ancient Climates

His main research was about understanding past warm periods (called interglacial periods) and cold periods (like ice ages). He studied palaeobotany, which is the study of ancient plants, and stratigraphy, which is the study of rock layers. He also looked at how sediments (like sand and mud) were laid down and how landscapes were shaped by freezing and thawing (called periglaciation).

Inspiring Others

Richard West was a great teacher and inspired many students over several generations to become researchers themselves. He wrote many articles and reviews, publishing over 120 papers and 9 books about his discoveries. His work helped us understand more about Earth's past climates and environments.

Images for kids

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  A picture of Richard Gilbert West.