A Geological and Botanical Journey Through UCLA: History, Meteorites, and Campus Flora

Introduction

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has a rich history intertwined with geological studies, a fascinating meteorite collection, and a diverse botanical landscape. From its early days as the "Southern Branch of the University of California" to its current status as a world-renowned institution, UCLA has fostered groundbreaking research and cultivated a vibrant campus environment. This article explores the history of geology at UCLA, the establishment of its impressive Meteorite Museum, and the unique plant life that graces its grounds.

The History of Geology at UCLA

UCLA's transformation from its early beginnings to a leading global university is reflected in the evolution of its academic departments. The establishment and growth of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences played a vital role in shaping UCLA's scientific reputation. Dr. Frederick Charles Leonard, an astrophysicist, will be forever linked with UCLA. In 1921, He earned his Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of California at Berkeley. Leonard started in the Mathematics department at UCLA. Leonard’s interest in meteorites was shared by few, if any, at UCLA at the time. He founded the Astronomy department in 1932, but was alone in studying meteoritics. He was misunderstood and unappreciated by his colleagues throughout his career.

The UCLA Meteorite Museum: A Window to the Cosmos

Origins and Development

The UCLA Meteorite Museum stands as a testament to the university's commitment to research and education in the field of cosmochemistry. The museum's origins can be traced back to 1934 when philanthropist William Andrews Clark, Jr. donated a 357-pound Canyon Diablo meteorite to UCLA. This meteorite became one of the first specimens in a collection that has grown to some 1,500 meteorites under the stewardship of professor John Wasson and researcher Alan Rubin, members of the department of Earth and space sciences and the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics. The collection is one of the most extensive in the world, but only recently have these unique bits of our solar system’s history been on display for visitors to admire.

The Vision of Key Figures

Professor John Wasson, the collection co-director, had for three decades been interested in creating a public display of the UCLA collection. Availability of space and funding had finally allowed the wish to come true, and formal planning began about three years ago. Despite traditionally limited academic funding, and using scrounged display cabinets, Wasson and Gallery co-director Dr.

Opening and Features

In January , the UCLA Meteorite Gallery opened at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) main campus in Westwood, California. The UCLA Department of Earth & Space Sciences meteorite collection is the 5th largest collection of its type in the United States. It consists of nearly 3000 specimens total, representing 1500 different meteorites and related objects. The collection also includes the main masses of about 40 meteorites, and approximately 300 partial or complete type specimens (80 of these are from California). Most of the specimens have been collected in the last few decades from Mojave Desert playas. Samples include meteorites (ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites, irons, etc) as well as related objects (tektites and desert glass). The collection even includes a Martian meteorite.

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The Gallery is publically accessible, and occupies about 900 square feet in room 3697 of the Geology Building. When first entering the room, I was immediately drawn to the central exhibit: the Clark Iron, a complete, 357 pound iron meteorite, recovered from Diablo Canyon, Coconino County, Arizona and given to UCLA in 1934 (UCLA's first meteorite). Each case has it's own meteoritic theme: chondrites, tektites, etc. Professor Rubin revealed that his favorite specimen bears a vein of silicate melt adjacent to a vein of shocked but unmelted glass. This specimen is housed in Case 4, a case featuring examples of brecciation and shock effects. Case 6 features meteorites from California as well as 'meteorwrongs', objects the public have found and mistaken for authentic meteorites. The display collection also includes examples of recent falls, especially from California (this is UCLA after all). However, an authenticated Chelyabinsk specimen is not yet part of the collection (any donors out there?).

Along the walls and on stands in the center of the Gallery are numerous posters explaining various aspects of meteoritic science. Along the west wall are three backscattered electron images of meteorite thin sections. While exploring the Gallery I found it useful to work back and forth between the cases, posters, and handouts, sometimes visiting each several times, to grasp the overall picture. This is not because of any fault in the Gallery's organization, but rather the Gallery's excitation of my detailed fascination the earth sciences/chemistry boundary. (Professor Rubin stated that the Gallery's pedagogical goal is cosmochemical.

Key Figures in the Museum's History

Several individuals have played pivotal roles in the development and success of the UCLA Meteorite Museum.

Dr. Frederick Charles Leonard: As the founder of the Astronomy Department at UCLA, Leonard's passion for meteorites laid the foundation for the museum's collection. He founded the Astronomy department in 1932, but was alone in studying meteoritics. He was misunderstood and unappreciated by his colleagues throughout his career. We can thank him for many of the words currently in use in science today; meteoriticist and meteoritics being two of many.
Dr. John Wasson: As a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences and Curator of the UCLA Meteorite Collection, Wasson was instrumental in expanding the collection and advocating for a public display. The late John Wasson, Director of the UCLA Collection of Meteorites, explained, “The collection is important for UCLA because researchers can get samples very quickly and look at significant pieces they can hold in their hands…” It’s very different than writing to a museum and asking for a small sample. With a hand specimen, you can see the shadings and textures that can tell you something about the differences in the detailed process of formation.”
Dr. Alan Rubin: As a research geochemist and curator of the UCLA Meteorite Collection, Rubin has been instrumental in researching and curating the museum's exhibits. Rubin is a research Geochemist with the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences. He is presently the curator of the UCLA Meteorite Collection. He is a fellow at the Meteoritical Society and winner of the Nininger Meteorite Award and seven Griffith Observer Science awards. He has conducted meteorite research on a wide variety of samples, concentrating on the nature and origin of chondrules, shock effects in chondrites and the processes that heated and altered meteorite parent bodies.

Exhibits and Educational Value

The UCLA Meteorite Museum offers a diverse range of exhibits showcasing the different types of meteorites, their origins, and their significance in understanding the formation of the solar system. Those expecting the museum to be filled with rows of indistinguishable black rocks may be surprised to learn that there are many types of meteorites - metallic, stony and everything in between. More than one exhibit emphasizes chondrites, a type of meteorite that is the subject of "endless fascination," according to Rubin. "Chondrites are composed of thousands or millions of tiny spherules, called chondrules," he explained. The museum also features exhibits on tektites, Libyan desert glass, and "meteorwrongs" - objects that people mistakenly identify as meteorites.

Wasson and Rubin hope that the museum, which welcomes visits from school groups, will help educate the next generation of meteorite researchers. The museum will be a wonderful teaching resource. The information behind the glass explains it all ““ the rock specimens are from Australia and date back 3.5 billion years.

Visiting the Museum

The UCLA Meteorite Gallery is located on the UCLA campus at 595 Charles E. Young Drive East in the Geology building, room 3697. It opened in January 2014. The Meteorite Gallery is open to the public and admission is free. The Gallery's hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (except federal holidays) and Sunday, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. On Sunday one or more docents are present, from volunteers and graduate students to Professors Rubin and Wasson. (The docent may deliver a lecture in The Gallery as well.) There is no entrance fee. Parking is convenient (in Structure 2 right across the street) but not inexpensive ($11 per day). Food is easily available many places on campus.

UCLA's Botanical Landscape: A Living Laboratory

Wayne Dollase's Enduring Legacy

Beyond the geological wonders housed within the Geology Building, UCLA's campus itself is a living laboratory of botanical diversity. Professor Emeritus Wayne Dollase has dedicated over 50 years to documenting and tracking the plant species that thrive on campus. In , when Wayne Dollase came to UCLA as an assistant professor of geology, he bought a 48-page guide to all the plants on campus, The University Garden, which had been co-authored by renowned horticulturist Mildred Mathias. Once the guide went out of print, however, Dollase saw the need for an electronic database to track the constant changes among the 550 different plant species on campus (excluding those in the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden). He took on the challenge of creating that database - and 50 years later, the professor emeritus of earth, planetary and space sciences continues to update the data by walking the campus every two weeks, taking note of what’s there and what’s not.

A Tour of Campus Flora

Dollase's work provides a valuable resource for exploring the diverse plant life that graces UCLA's grounds. A walk through North Campus reveals a variety of notable species:

Ficus benjamina (weeping fig): This towering tree, located at the southeast corner of the North Campus Student Center, produces thousands of small figs that create a crunchy groundcover in winter.
Pinus canariensis (Canary Island pine): This is by far the most numerous type of tree planted on campus and can be found at Bunche Hall.
Thevetia peruviana (yellow oleander): Despite its name, this toxic shrub is native to Mexico and Central America and grows in a thick hedge along the south side of Campbell Hall.
Lagerstroemia x hybrid (crape myrtle): This deciduous tree, located outside the offices of UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance, blooms in the spring and boasts vibrant foliage in the fall.
Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree): This member of the Ericaceae family, found at the north entrance to Royce Hall, features tiny, bell-like flowers and edible, strawberry-like fruit.
Cedrus deodara (deodar cedar): This majestic evergreen, one of the first trees planted on campus, graces the northeast corner of Royce Hall. The Class of 1929 gave UCLA several deodar cedars, which were planted around Royce Hall in 1930.
Plumeria rubra (frangipani): This winter-blooming plant, with its beautiful red flowers, adds color to the south side of the Anderson School complex.
Bougainvillea hybrid: This viney plant, located at the southwest corner of Rolfe Hall, features colorful bracts (modified leaves) that attract pollinators.
Magnolia x soulangeana (saucer magnolia): This tree, found at the left of the north entrance to the Student Activities Center, gets its name from its large, saucer-like flower petals.

Drought-Resistant Landscaping

In response to drought conditions, UCLA has implemented sustainable landscaping practices, incorporating drought-resistant plants to conserve water. Brought about by a host of campus entities, the drought-resistant landscapes are part of UCLA’s comprehensive sustainability efforts to, for one thing, bring water use 20 percent below a 1999-2001 baseline by 2020. Results are measurable: For example, replacing 45,500 square feet of turf grass around Murphy Hall is saving more than 3 million gallons of water a year. UCLA supports waterwise plants through such sustainable practices as water-efficient (drip) irrigation and weather-based irrigation controllers. And rather than sending green waste straight to landfills, campus grounds crews chip it and reuse it as mulch for soil health. They also use integrated pest management to control insects, diseases and weeds. These landscapes not only conserve water but also create visually appealing tapestries of color and texture, attracting wildlife to the campus.

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tags: #geology #building #ucla #history