Bevan French

It is with great sadness that our long-time research collaborator Bevan French passed away on May 10, 2025. Bevan was one of the pioneers of shock metamorphic petrology and with a research focus on samples of extraterrestrial materials and terrestrial impact craters. He was an adjunct scientist at NMNH for several decades and his appointment spanned the departments of Mineral Sciences and Paleobiology. He will be missed as a long-standing member of the museum community. 

• A.B., Dartmouth College
• M.S., California Institute of Technology
• Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University

Geology of terrestrial meteorite craters: formation, identification, and geological and bio-logical effects; identification of unique impact-produced shock-wave effects in minerals and rocks; impact debris in the terrestrial sedimentary record and at major extinction bounadries

Journal Article

• Gurov, E. P., Permiakov, V. V., and French, Bevan M. 2021. "Remains of Paleoflora in the Breccias of the Onaping Formation, Sudbury Impact Structure, Ontario, Canada." Geological Journal (Ukraine), (1) 17–31. https://doi.org/10.30836/igs.1025-6814.2021.1.222790.
• Gurov, Yevgeniy P., French, Bevan M., and Permiakov, Vitaliy V. 2020. "Carbon‐rich microfossils preserved in the Proterozoic crater‐filling breccias of the Sudbury impact structure, Canada." Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 55, (12) 2727–2740. https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13601.
• French, Bevan M. 2018. "The Decorah structure, northeastern Iowa: Geology and evidence for formation by meteorite impact." GSA Bulletin, 130, (11/12) 2062–2086. https://doi.org/10.1130/B31925.1.
• Thomson, Olivia A., Cavosie, Aaron J., Moser, Desmond E., Barker, Ivan, Radovan, Henri A., and French, Bevan M. 2014. "Preservation of detrital shocked minerals derived from the 1.85 Ga Sudbury impact structure in modern alluvium and Holocene glacial deposits." Geological Society of America Bulletin, 126, (5-6) 720–737. https://doi.org/10.1130/B30958.1.
• French, Bevan M. 2012. "Nicholas M. Short (July 18, 1927-June 12, 2011) In Memorium." Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 47, (1) 158–162. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01313.x.
• French, Bevan M. and Koeberl, Christian. 2010. "The convincing identification of terrestrial meteorite impact structures: What works, what doesn't, and why." Earth-Science Reviews, 98, (1-2) 123–170.
• French, Bevan M. 2005. "William L. Quaide, 1927-2004." Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 40, (1) 139–141.
• French, Bevan M. 2004. "The importance of being cratered: The new role of meteorite impact as a normal geological process." Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 36, (2) 169–197.
• French, Bevan M., Cordua, W. S., and Plescia, J. B. 2004. "The Rock Elm meteorite impact structure, Wisconsin: Geology and shock-metamorphic effects in quartz." Geological Society of America Bulletin, 116, (1) 200–218.
• Reimold, Wolf Uwe, Koeberl, Christian, Hough, Robert M., McDonald, Iain, Bevan, Alex, Amare, Kassa, and French, Bevan M. 2003. "Woodleigh impact structure, Australia: Shock petrography and geochemical studies." Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 38, (7) 1109–1130.
• French, Bevan M. 1997. "Memorial: Eugene M. Shoemaker (1928-1997)." Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 32 985.
• French, Bevan M. and Anderson, C. M. 1997. ""The man passing by on his way to the Moon" (memorial to E.M. Shoemaker)." The Planetary Report, 17, (6) 14–15.
• French, Bevan M., Jezek, Peter A., and Appleman, Daniel E. 1978. "Virgilite: A New Lithium Aluminum Silicate Mineral from the Macusani Glass, Peru." American Mineralogist, 63 461–465.