Archives West Finding Aid

Ronald Keith Sorem was born in 1924. He received his B.A. in Geology in 1946 and his M.S. in 1948 from the University of Minnesota. In 1952, he began working for the U.S. Geological Service as a geologist and finished his Ph.D. in Wisconsin in 1958. He was hired by Washington State University in 1959 in the Geology Department and in 1980 became the Division of Sciences half-time Associate Dean. (from the guide to the Ronald K. Sorem Mt. St. Helens Projects Papers, 1980-1990, Cage 669)

The manganese nodule project was an experimental project to mine manganese from the ocean floor from a ship. Geologists from Washington State University, led by Ronald Sorem, contributed to the project through the 1970s. The notes, papers, and media in this collection represent the work towards a documentary film of the project entitled "Treasure at 2500 Fathoms."