Stephen Calvert

Calvert has distinguished himself in the field of marine geochemistry by focussing on diagenesis, the chemical and mineralogical transformation of sediments, a crucial step in global biogeochemical cycles. He has explained the transformation of diatomaceous sediments into chert; his account of the formation of ferromanganese nodules that blanket much of the ocean floor is by now widely accepted. His recent work has focussed on the evolution (possibly into petroleum rocks) of organic-rich sediments under anoxic conditions. Calvert has also been an extraordinarily dynamic and influential proponent of marine sciences in Canada and has brought marine geochemistry into the mainstream of Canadian oceanography.