Geology and the Wheeler Survey

Abstract

The Wheeler Survey was the only one of the territorial surveys of the 1860's and 1870's to concentrate on topographic mapping rather than geology. This difference in emphasis contributed to the poor relations of the Army survey with the two Interior Department surveys and with the scientific community after 1873. Geologists' complaints with the Wheeler Survey centered on: the rapid pace of fieldwork, the publication policy, the accuracy and utility of the topographic base maps, and the subordination to the Army's young lieutenants.Ten geologists and three paleontologists served in the field with Wheeler. His survey's official publications reported reconnaissance work in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California. The survey's geologists collected many new fossils for description and stratigraphic evaluation by F.B. Meek and by C.A. White. E.D. Cope discovered the Puercan (earliest Paleocene) faunas of New Mexico, one of his most significant scientific discoveries, while with Wheeler. Mining geologist John Church based his theory of heat generation in the Comstock Lode on field work for the Wheeler survey. While serving with Wheeler, J.J. Stevenson made controversial discoveries of late Paleozoic orogeny in the Rockies and Cretaceous coal deposits. G.K. Gilbert recognized the fault block nature of the Basin Ranges, and began his study of Lake Bonneville during field work with the Wheeler survey; he established in its publications the basis for his later career.