Béla Csejtey Jr. (1934–2012)

Background

Born: January 26, 1934, in Hungary.

Died: January 26, 2012, at Stanford Hospital, Palo Alto, California, aged 78, after a long battle with lymphoma.

Emigration: Fled Hungary during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, part of a wave of refugees escaping Soviet suppression. Settled in the United States, where he built a distinguished career.

Geological Contributions

Education: Earned a doctorate in geology from Princeton University, establishing a strong academic foundation.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS):

Antarctica (1962–63): Participated in the U.S. Antarctic Research Program (USARP), conducting fieldwork in the Geologists’ Range. His work was significant enough that Mount Csejtey (Pensacola Mountains, Antarctica, coordinates: 82°32'0"S 50°35'0"W, elevation: 1,525 meters) was named in his honor. This mountain lies 3 km east of Mount Dover, reflecting his contributions to Antarctic geological mapping.

Alaska: Worked at the USGS Alaskan branch in Menlo Park, California. Key projects include:Geology and Geochronology of the Healy Quadrangle, Alaska: Co-authored studies (e.g., 1982, 1992) detailing the geological framework and age-dating of rock formations in this region, critical for understanding Alaska’s tectonic history.

Geology of St. Lawrence Island, Alaska: Contributed to reports (e.g., 1981) on the island’s geological structure, aiding resource exploration and tectonic studies.

His work involved rigorous field mapping and laboratory analysis, contributing to USGS publications that remain references for Alaskan and Antarctic geology.