Janet Watson

Janet Vida Watson FRS FGS (1923–1985) was a British geologist. She was a professor of Geology at Imperial College, a rapporteur for the International Geological Correlation Program (IGCP) (1977–1982) and a vice president of the Royal Society (1983–1984).

Career After her graduation in 1943, Watson began working at the National Institute for Research in Dairying. She observed chicken growth and their diets. She became bored with her job and went on to teach biology at Wentworth School, Bournemouth before deciding to become a geologist by the end of World War II. She applied to Imperial College in 1945, completing her B.Sc. in geology in 1947, again getting a first class degree. Prior to graduating, Janet's interest in geology was spurred after working on a mapping project in the Scottish Highlands in 1946. Watson enrolled for her PhD in 1947 and began studying the Lewisian Complex in northern Scotland.

After receiving her PhD in 1949, Janet and her husband; John Sutton, continued their involvement with Imperial College. They published their thesis work in a paper in 1951, that had a major impact on the study of Precambrian basement complexes, by showing that it was possible to understand their metamorphic and structural development as a series of discrete orogenic events that could be discerned in the field. They proposed that an older Archaean Scourian complex, had been partially reworked by a younger Paleoproterozoic Laxfordian orogenic event, as shown by its effect on a set of dolerite dykes, known as the Scourie dykes. Subsequent fieldwork, metamorphic studies and radiometric dating has refined their chronology but supported their original hypothesis.

In 1952, Janet worked under H.H. Read as a research assistant, until 1973 when she became a senior lecturer. Later on, they published maps of the region in 1982 as well as a memoir in 1994.

In 1965 isotopic dating had advanced into practicality for geologists. This technology aided Janet's research in the Caledonian Belt, showing metamorphic rocks, migmatites, and granites ages ranging from 750 to 360 million years old. Another set of discoveries in south-west England show metamorphic rocks ranging from 400 to 350 million years old, hercynian granites 300 to 250 million years old, tertiary granites and allied rocks 65 to 50 million years old.

From the mid-1970s Jane worked with the IGS to study the post-Caledonian evolution of Scotland and the effects that diagenesis and hydrothermal activity had on the region. She continued to work on the problems of the precambrian in Scotland but also published on ore genesis and regional geochemistry. Watson continued to work in her profession during her retirement, in spite of ailing health, until her death in 1985.

Throughout her career, Janet continued her research in certain regions of the world, including: Greenland, the Channel Islands, Italy and Tanganyika. Fellow of the Royal Society – elected 1979, member of the council and vice-president until her death , the Geological Society holds an annual Janet Watson meeting event. The conference puts an emphasis on giving the opportunity to young geologists starting their careers to present and discuss their research. Watson is also very well remembered for her ability to ask fundamental questions about many areas in her field. One of her many students, Rick Sibson, appreciated her for always pushing them to create their own way of thinking.