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Edward Wesley Hildreth III (August 17, 1938 – June 19, 2025) was an American geologist affiliated with the
U.S. Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on March ...
(USGS) and its California Volcano Observatory. Employed by the USGS as a research geologist from 1977 until his death, Hildreth was a
Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal lands and natural resources. It also administers programs relatin ...
senior scientist. Described in ''Wired'' as "one of the great volcanologists/petrologists of our time," his work in the fields of
volcanology Volcanology (also spelled vulcanology) is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma and related geology, geological, geophysical and geochemistry, geochemical phenomena (volcanism). The term ''volcanology'' is derived from the Latin language, Latin ...
,
petrology Petrology () is the branch of geology that studies rocks, their mineralogy, composition, texture, structure and the conditions under which they form. Petrology has three subdivisions: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology. Igneous ...
, and
geological mapping A geological map or geologic map is a special-purpose map made to show various geological features. Rock units or geologic strata are shown by color or symbols. Bedding planes and structural features such as faults, folds, are shown with s ...
had been recognized with the and Thorarinsson Medal, and with
fellowship A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned or professional societies, the term refers ...
in the
Geological Society of America The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. History The society was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hi ...
(GSA) and the
American Geophysical Union The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, Atmospheric science, atmospheric, Oceanography, ocean, Hydrology, hydrologic, Astronomy, space, and Planetary science, planetary scientists and enthusiasts that ...
. Hildreth's body of research included work on the volcanic history of the
Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...
,
magmatism Magmatism is the emplacement of magma within and at the surface of the outer layers of a terrestrial planet, which solidifies as igneous rocks. It does so through magmatic activity or igneous activity, the production, intrusion and extrusion of ...
of the
Long Valley Caldera Long Valley Caldera is a Depression (geology), depression in eastern California that is adjacent to Mammoth Mountain. The valley is one of the Earth's largest calderas, measuring about long (east-west), wide (north-south), and up to deep. Lo ...
, and mapping of mountain regions in the
Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
.


Early life and education

Wes Hildreth, full name Edward Wesley Hildreth III, was born on August 17, 1938, in
Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located roughly west of Downtown Boston, and comprises a patchwork of thirteen villages. The city borders Boston to the northeast and southeast (via the neighborhoods of ...
, and was of Scottish ancestry. His parents—a
housewife A housewife (also known as a homemaker or a stay-at-home mother/mom/mum) is a woman whose role is running or managing her family's home—housekeeping, which may include Parenting, caring for her children; cleaning and maintaining the home; Sew ...
from an upper class family and a middle class retail store manager—had married earlier that year. Wes grew up "bicoastal", and lived most of his life in either
Greater Boston Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston, the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England, and its surrounding areas, home to 4,941,632. The most s ...
or the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...
; he attended schools in both California and Massachusetts, and graduated in 1956 as the
salutatorian Salutatorian is an academic title given in Armenia, the Philippines, Canada, Afghanistan and the United States to the second-highest-ranked graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. ...
of
Tamalpais High School Tamalpais High School (often abbreviated as Tam) is a public secondary school located in Mill Valley, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named after nearby Mount Tamalpais, which rises almost above Mill Valley. Tamalpais High Scho ...
in
Mill Valley, California Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge and from Napa Valley. The population was 14,231 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Mill Valley is lo ...
. Hildreth ran the
Dipsea Race The Dipsea Race is a trail running event in California, United States. It is the oldest cross-country trail running event and one of the oldest Running, foot races of any kind in the United States. The 7.5 mile (12 km) long Dipsea Race ha ...
in 1955, while a student at Tamalpais. Hildreth attended
Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...
, the undergraduate school of liberal arts and sciences at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, where he majored in
geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...
with a minor in
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
. While at Harvard, he was a
cross country runner Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open coun ...
for the
Harvard Crimson The Harvard Crimson is the nickname of the college sports teams of Harvard College. The school's teams compete in NCAA Division I. As of 2013, there were 42 Division I intercollegiate Varsity team, varsity sports teams for women and men at Harva ...
. He received a Detur Book Prize (awarded to sophomores with high academic standing) in 1958. Between his sophomore and junior years, he joined an
Army Reserve Army Reserve refers to a land-based military reserve force, including: *Army Reserve (Ireland) *Army Reserve (United Kingdom) *Australian Army Reserve *Canadian Army Reserve * New Zealand Army Reserve *United States Army Reserve *United States Navy ...
unit and trained for six months at
Fort Ord Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay on the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...
, earning the distinction "Outstanding Soldier of the Cycle" in 1959. In 1960, he placed 29th in the 1960
Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by eight cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ins ...
, and was elected to
Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...
. Hildreth graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree ''
cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...
'' in 1961. After graduating, he received Harvard's Sheldon Fellowship—a scholarship to travel the world—then worked for four years (1966–1970) as a seasonal
naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...
for the
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...
. One of his duty stations included
Death Valley National Park Death Valley National Park is a national park of the United States that straddles the California–Nevada border, east of the Sierra Nevada. The park boundaries include Death Valley, the northern section of Panamint Valley, the southern sect ...
where he befriended
Edward Abbey Edward Paul Abbey (January 29, 1927 – March 14, 1989) was an American author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues, criticism of public land policies, and anarchist political views. His best-known works include the nov ...
. One season was with the Park Service at
Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in northwestern Arizona, the 15th site to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyo ...
in 1967. That year Wes became friends with Grand Canyon hikers
Harvey Butchart John Harvey Butchart (May 10, 1907 – May 29, 2002) was an American hiker and mathematician who was well known for his exploits in and around the Grand Canyon in Arizona, United States. Beginning in 1945, Butchart explored the Grand Canyon's bac ...
and
Colin Fletcher Colin Fletcher (14 March 1922 – 12 June 2007) was a pioneering backpacker and writer. In 1963, Fletcher walked the length of that portion of Grand Canyon contained within the 1963 boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park. Although hi ...
. With their advice, in 1968, he and Jack Fulton hiked the length of Grand Canyon National Park from Topocoba Hilltop to the Hopi Salt Trail, becoming the first people documented to make that hike. In 1969, Wes boated the Colorado River through Grand Canyon with Otis R. Marston. Hildreth started
graduate school Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachel ...
in 1970, but dropped out under the domestic pressure of the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. He later returned to graduate studies; under the advisorship of Ian S. E. Carmichael, Charles M. Gilbert, and Herbert R. Shaw, Hildreth received a
Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...
degree from the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
in 1977, staying at Berkeley after graduation to complete postdoctoral work with Carmichael.


Career and research

Starting in 1966, five years after his bachelor's degree was completed, Hildreth worked as a seasonal
naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...
for the
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...
. That same year, he conducted research at
Muir Woods National Monument Muir Woods National Monument ( ) is a National monument (United States), United States National Monument managed by the National Park Service and named after naturalist John Muir. It is located on Mount Tamalpais near the Pacific Ocean, Pacific ...
, and published a report on the history of the area. During his time with the Park Service, he had stints visiting
Death Valley Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. It is thought to be the Highest temperature recorded on Earth, hottest place on Earth during summer. Death Valley's Badwat ...
and the
Olympic Mountains The Olympic Mountains are a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high – Mount Olympus (Washington), Mount Olympus is the high ...
. He left his position in 1970, later becoming an instructor at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
, where he worked from 1973 to 1975. In 1977, Hildreth received his Ph.D. from Berkeley; he joined the
U.S. Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on March ...
as a research geologist in the same year. Hildreth's interest in the Panamint Ranges led him to return to Death Valley and the
Bishop Tuff The Bishop Tuff is a welded tuff which formed 764,800 ± 600 years ago as a rhyolite, rhyolitic pyroclastic flow during the approximately six-day eruption that formed the Long Valley Caldera. Large outcrops of the tuff are located in Inyo County, ...
while studying at Berkeley. His analysis of the tuff was a major contribution to the field, and since that time he has published on a wide array of geoscience topics, including
volcanology Volcanology (also spelled vulcanology) is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma and related geology, geological, geophysical and geochemistry, geochemical phenomena (volcanism). The term ''volcanology'' is derived from the Latin language, Latin ...
,
petrology Petrology () is the branch of geology that studies rocks, their mineralogy, composition, texture, structure and the conditions under which they form. Petrology has three subdivisions: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology. Igneous ...
, and
geological mapping A geological map or geologic map is a special-purpose map made to show various geological features. Rock units or geologic strata are shown by color or symbols. Bedding planes and structural features such as faults, folds, are shown with s ...
, with a focus on
continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne * Continen ...
formations such as
calderas A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcanic eruption. An eruption that ejects large volumes of magma over a short period of time can cause significant detriment to the st ...
. In the 1970s, Hildreth saw a start to his career by studying the Bishop Tuff and
Long Valley Caldera Long Valley Caldera is a Depression (geology), depression in eastern California that is adjacent to Mammoth Mountain. The valley is one of the Earth's largest calderas, measuring about long (east-west), wide (north-south), and up to deep. Lo ...
, and also by collaborating with
Bob Christiansen Robert Scott Christiansen (born May 8, 1949) is a former professional American football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Buffalo Bills in 1972. For the 1971 season playing for the UCLA Bruins The UCL ...
on research in
Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...
. His early research also helped solidify the scientific consensus that there is compositional
zoning In urban planning, zoning is a method in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into land-use "zones", each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for ...
of magma reservoirs. Prior to 1980, Hildreth's primary research partner was
David A. Johnston David Alexander Johnston (December 18, 1949 – May 18, 1980) was an American United States Geological Survey (USGS) volcanologist who was killed by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. A pr ...
, though he was killed by the
1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens In March 1980, a series of volcanic explosions and pyroclastic flows began at Mount St. Helens in Skamania County, Washington, United States. A series of Phreatic eruption, phreatic blasts occurred from the summit and escalated until a major ...
. After that summer, much of Hildreth's research was conducted with Judy Fierstein, fellow USGS geologist. Their collaboration began in 1980, when Hildreth took Fierstein—then a fresh college graduate—to the
Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is a valley within Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska which is filled with ash flow from the eruption of Novarupta on June 6–8, 1912. Following the eruption, thousands of fumaroles vented steam fr ...
in
Katmai National Park and Preserve Katmai National Park and Preserve is a List of national parks of the United States, United States national park and National preserve, preserve in southwest Alaska, notable for the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and for its Alaska Peninsula brown ...
to conduct
field research Field research, field studies, or fieldwork is the collection of raw data outside a laboratory, library, or workplace setting. The approaches and methods used in field research vary across disciplines. For example, biologists who conduct fi ...
. Hildreth had been studying the geology of Katmai since 1976, but this was Fierstein's first experience in the park. In 2012, Hildreth and Fierstein published a report to commemorate the
centennial A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century. Notable events Notable centennial events at a national or world-level include: * Centennial Exhibition, 1876, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...
of the 1912 eruption of
Novarupta Novarupta is a volcano located on the Alaska Peninsula on a slope of Trident Volcano in Katmai National Park and Preserve, about southwest of Anchorage. Novarupta was formed in 1912, during the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, in ...
. The pair had also published research on other volcanoes within the park, including Kaguyak Caldera. Their enduring partnership proved fruitful, with them both becoming vital to each other's research. In 2019, the duo won the Florence Bascom Geologic Mapping Award, conferred by the
Geological Society of America The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. History The society was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hi ...
, for their mapping efforts in Alaska, Chile, and the western United States. In 1979, Hildreth published the seminal paper on Bishop Tuff studies. Subsequent works by him helped establish a greater understanding of the Bishop Tuff and its origins. In the
Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
, his work made him a leading expert on the geology of
Laguna del Maule Laguna del Maule () is a lake located in the Andes of Central Chile Central Chile (''Zona central'') is one of the five natural regions into which CORFO divided continental Chile in 1950. It is home to a majority of the Chilean population ...
. At the time of his death in 2025, Hildreth was a staff member of the USGS California Volcano Observatory and worked out of
Menlo Park, California Menlo Park ( ) is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County, California, San Mateo County in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, California, Eas ...
.


Professional service

Hildreth served as an
associate editor An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...
of ''
Andean Geology ''Andean Geology'' (formerly ''Revista Geológica de Chile'') is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published three times per year by the National Geology and Mining Service, Chile's geology and mining agency. The journal covers the field of geo ...
'' from 1987 to 2025, a role he previously held at the ''
Journal of Geophysical Research The ''Journal of Geophysical Research'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal. It is the flagship journal of the American Geophysical Union. It contains original research on the physical, chemical, and biological processes that contribute to the u ...
'' from 1984 to 1986. From 1991 to 2001, he also served on the
editorial board The editorial board is a group of editors, writers, and other people who are charged with implementing a publication's approach to editorials and other opinion pieces. The editorials published normally represent the views or goals of the publicat ...
of the ''
Bulletin of Volcanology The ''Bulletin of Volcanology'' is a peer reviewed scientific journal that is published ten times per year by Springer Science+Business Media. It is the official journal of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth' ...
''. Hildreth also participated in public events—he was a participant in the 2005 GSA field forum in the
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
and the
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
Inyo Mountains The Inyo Mountains are a short mountain range east of the Sierra Nevada in eastern California in the United States. The range separates the Owens Valley to the west from Saline Valley to the east, extending for approximately south-southeast f ...
. He again participated in a GSA field forum in 2009, in
Bishop, California Bishop (formerly Bishop Creek) is the only incorporated city in Inyo County, California, United States. It is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley within the Mojave Desert, at an elevation of . The city was named after Bishop Creek ...
, which was adapted into a special issue of ''Lithosphere''. In July 2016, Hildreth and Fierstein hosted an interpretive lecture and hike at
Devils Postpile National Monument A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in many and various cultures and religious traditions. Devil or Devils may also refer to: * Satan * Devil in Christianity * Demon * Folk devil Art, entertainment, and media Film and ...
.


Awards and honors

At the May 1985 meeting of the
Geological Society of America The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. History The society was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hi ...
, Hildreth was elected a
fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...
of the society. In December 1985, he was awarded the (named for
Norman L. Bowen Norman Levi Bowen Royal Society, FRS (June 21, 1887 – September 11, 1956) was a Canadian geologist. Bowen "revolutionized experimental petrology and our understanding of mineral crystallization". Beginning geology students are familiar with Bowen ...
) of the
American Geophysical Union The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, Atmospheric science, atmospheric, Oceanography, ocean, Hydrology, hydrologic, Astronomy, space, and Planetary science, planetary scientists and enthusiasts that ...
for his
geochemical Geochemistry is the science that uses the tools and principles of chemistry to explain the mechanisms behind major geological systems such as the Earth's crust and its oceans. The realm of geochemistry extends beyond the Earth, encompassing the ...
and petrologic studies of the Bishop Tuff, Novarupta, and Yellowstone. Hildreth became a fellow of the union in January 1995. In 2004, Hildreth was awarded the Thorarinsson Medal (named for Sigurdur Thorarinsson) for his many contributions to volcanology, including eruptive and petrological studies at
Mount Baker Mount Baker (; ), also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is a active glacier-covered andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States. Mount Baker has the second-most ...
and Mount Adams in the
Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...
,
Mount Katmai Mount Katmai () is a large active stratovolcano (composite volcano) on the Alaska Peninsula in southern Alaska, located within Katmai National Park and Preserve. It is about in diameter with a central lake-filled caldera about in size, formed ...
in
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
, and the
Yellowstone Caldera The Yellowstone Caldera, also known as the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field, is a Quaternary caldera complex and volcanic plateau spanning parts of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. It is driven by the Yellowstone hotspot and is largely within Yel ...
; mapping of volcanic calderas in the Andes; and magmatic studies at Long Valley. The GSA awarded Hildreth and Fierstein the 2019 Florence Bascom Geologic Mapping Award (named for
Florence Bascom Florence Bascom (July 14, 1862 – June 18, 1945) was a pioneer American woman geologist and educator. Bascom became an anomaly in the 19th century when she earned two bachelor's degrees and a masters degree. Earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1882, an ...
) for their mapping efforts at Adams, Baker, Katmai, Laguna del Maule, and Long Valley as well as the Three Sisters,
Simcoe Mountains The Simcoe Mountains Volcanic Field, sometimes called the Simcoe Highlands, is a group of lava flows and extinct cinder cones located to the east of the Cascade Range in south-central Washington, United States. The mountains lie within Klickitat ...
,
Pantelleria Pantelleria (; ), known in ancient times as Cossyra or Cossura, is an Italian island and comune in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and east of the Tunisian coast. On clear days Tunisia is visible from the ...
, QuizapuDescabezado, and
Mammoth Mountain Mammoth Mountain is a lava dome complex partially located in the town of Mammoth Lakes, California, in the Inyo National Forest of Madera County, California, Madera and Mono County, California, Mono counties. It is home to a large Mammoth Mounta ...
.


Personal life and death

In 1964, Hildreth married Nancy Williams (now Nancy Brown, married to Roger Brown). Wes and Nancy separated in 1973 but appeared in an
oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information from people, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people who pa ...
interview together in 2016. Hildreth met Gail Mahood while a student at Berkeley, and they were married in 1982. The two were both geologists, and had published papers together. On June 19, 2025, around 11:50 a.m., Hildreth was killed in a crash while traveling on State Route 360 in Nevada. He was the passenger in a
Chevrolet Tahoe The Chevrolet Tahoe (), and its Rebadging, badge-engineered GMC Yukon counterpart, are full-size SUVs and other trucks from General Motors, offered since 1994 and 1991, respectively. Since 1982, Chevrolet and GMC (General Motors division), GMC ...
that was struck while turning left by a semi-truck attempting to overtake. Hildreth was declared dead on the scene, at the age of 86. An unnamed driver was hospitalized. Earlier that month, Hildreth had been inducted into the Dipsea Race Hall of Fame. The California Volcano Observatory published a memorial to Hildreth on July 8, 2025. It was reposted the same day by the Dipsea Race organization on
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
.


References


External links


Wes Hildreth (former employee)
taff profile, U.S. Geological Survey
In Memoriam: Wes Hildreth
– Memorial by the California Volcano Observatory {{DEFAULTSORT:Hildreth, Wes 1938 births 2025 deaths 20th-century American geologists 21st-century American geologists American cartographers American geochemists American volcanologists Fellows of the American Geophysical Union Fellows of the Geological Society of America Harvard College alumni National Park Service personnel Scientists from Newton, Massachusetts Scientists from the San Francisco Bay Area Tamalpais High School alumni United States Geological Survey personnel University of California, Berkeley alumni University of California, Berkeley faculty