World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
William B. Durham

William B. Durham

D-Index & Metrics

Earth Science

D-Index
46
Citations
8898
World Ranking
4177
National Ranking
1620

William B. Durham publication distribution in Earth Science in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Earth Science in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where William B. Durham sits on this spectrum.

38–47 publications: 5 scientists 48–57 publications: 33 scientists 58–67 publications: 94 scientists 68–77 publications: 161 scientists 78–87 publications: 278 scientists 88–97 publications: 376 scientists 98–107 publications: 404 scientists 108–117 publications: 484 scientists 118–127 publications: 540 scientists 128–137 publications: 557 scientists 138–147 publications: 491 scientists 148–157 publications: 495 scientists 158–167 publications: 458 scientists 168–177 publications: 490 scientists 178–187 publications: 414 scientists 188–197 publications: 401 scientists 198–207 publications: 333 scientists 208–217 publications: 292 scientists 218–227 publications: 290 scientists 228–237 publications: 262 scientists 238–247 publications: 243 scientists 248–257 publications: 208 scientists 258–267 publications: 185 scientists 268–277 publications: 147 scientists 278–287 publications: 128 scientists 288–297 publications: 119 scientists 298–307 publications: 120 scientists 308–317 publications: 107 scientists 318–327 publications: 93 scientists 328–337 publications: 87 scientists 338–347 publications: 64 scientists 348–357 publications: 87 scientists 358–367 publications: 60 scientists 368–377 publications: 60 scientists 378–387 publications: 34 scientists 388–397 publications: 50 scientists 398–407 publications: 44 scientists 408–417 publications: 31 scientists 418–427 publications: 39 scientists 428–437 publications: 27 scientists 438–447 publications: 36 scientists 448–457 publications: 27 scientists 458–467 publications: 29 scientists 468–477 publications: 30 scientists 478–487 publications: 19 scientists 488–497 publications: 15 scientists 498–507 publications: 18 scientists 508–517 publications: 19 scientists 518–527 publications: 16 scientists 528–537 publications: 10 scientists 538–547 publications: 11 scientists 548–557 publications: 14 scientists 558–567 publications: 11 scientists 568–577 publications: 7 scientists 578–587 publications: 14 scientists 588–597 publications: 5 scientists 598–602 publications: 4 scientists 603+ publications: 100 scientists
38 publications 603+

This scientist: 160 publications — 44th percentile

44% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 603 publications or more.

William B. Durham D-index placement in Earth Science in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Earth Science scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where William B. Durham sits on this spectrum.

30 D-Index: 144 scientists 31 D-Index: 215 scientists 32 D-Index: 278 scientists 33 D-Index: 379 scientists 34 D-Index: 366 scientists 35 D-Index: 372 scientists 36 D-Index: 389 scientists 37 D-Index: 366 scientists 38 D-Index: 344 scientists 39 D-Index: 349 scientists 40 D-Index: 296 scientists 41 D-Index: 289 scientists 42 D-Index: 277 scientists 43 D-Index: 279 scientists 44 D-Index: 248 scientists 45 D-Index: 257 scientists 46 D-Index: 212 scientists 47 D-Index: 202 scientists 48 D-Index: 207 scientists 49 D-Index: 204 scientists 50 D-Index: 183 scientists 51 D-Index: 178 scientists 52 D-Index: 182 scientists 53 D-Index: 178 scientists 54 D-Index: 163 scientists 55 D-Index: 117 scientists 56 D-Index: 163 scientists 57 D-Index: 120 scientists 58 D-Index: 113 scientists 59 D-Index: 136 scientists 60 D-Index: 135 scientists 61 D-Index: 96 scientists 62 D-Index: 103 scientists 63 D-Index: 83 scientists 64 D-Index: 103 scientists 65 D-Index: 83 scientists 66 D-Index: 89 scientists 67 D-Index: 92 scientists 68 D-Index: 89 scientists 69 D-Index: 78 scientists 70 D-Index: 75 scientists 71 D-Index: 53 scientists 72 D-Index: 62 scientists 73 D-Index: 54 scientists 74 D-Index: 35 scientists 75 D-Index: 52 scientists 76 D-Index: 50 scientists 77 D-Index: 32 scientists 78 D-Index: 37 scientists 79 D-Index: 20 scientists 80 D-Index: 33 scientists 81 D-Index: 36 scientists 82 D-Index: 34 scientists 83 D-Index: 34 scientists 84 D-Index: 24 scientists 85 D-Index: 19 scientists 86 D-Index: 18 scientists 87 D-Index: 26 scientists 88 D-Index: 30 scientists 89 D-Index: 17 scientists 90 D-Index: 21 scientists 91 D-Index: 19 scientists 92 D-Index: 15 scientists 93 D-Index: 14 scientists 94 D-Index: 20 scientists 95 D-Index: 9 scientists 96 D-Index: 10 scientists 97 D-Index: 15 scientists 98 D-Index: 13 scientists 99 D-Index: 3 scientists 100 D-Index: 13 scientists 101 D-Index: 3 scientists 102 D-Index: 9 scientists 103 D-Index: 4 scientists 104 D-Index: 6 scientists 105 D-Index: 6 scientists 106+ D-Index: 98 scientists
30 D-Index 106+

This scientist: 46 D-Index — 55th percentile

55% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 106 D-Index or more.

Overview

William B. Durham is affiliated with MIT in the United States and contributes to research primarily within the fields of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Social Sciences. Their work spans several interdisciplinary subfields, including Geophysics, Mechanics of Materials, Law, Political Science and International Relations, and Materials Chemistry.

Durham's research covers a range of topics reflected in their publications, including:

  • High-pressure geophysics and materials
  • Geological and Geochemical Analysis
  • Earthquake and tectonic studies
  • High-Velocity Impact and Material Behavior
  • Fire effects on concrete materials
  • Fatigue and fracture mechanics
  • Rock Mechanics and Modeling

The scientist has published recent papers in multiple venues with a focus on both natural sciences and social sciences. Notable papers include:

  • "Dislocation interactions during low-temperature plasticity of olivine and their impact on the evolution of lithospheric strength" (2020), published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
  • "The role of kink boundaries in the deformation and recrystallisation of polycrystalline ice" (2020), published in Journal of Structural Geology
  • "Plastic Faulting in Ice" (2020), published in Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth
  • "Abstract 2835: Comparison of xenograft and syngeneic cancer cachexia models for preclinical drug testing" (2024), published in Cancer Research
  • "Mind the Gap: Drafting Liability Limitations That Stick" (2025), published in SSRN Electronic Journal

Frequent co-authors collaboration patterns demonstrate connections with other researchers such as:

  • David J. Prior
  • N. Golding
  • David Wallis
  • Lars N. Hansen
  • Kathryn M. Kumamoto

In terms of publication venues, Durham's contributions appear often in:

  • SSRN Electronic Journal
  • Earth and Planetary Science Letters
  • Journal of Structural Geology
  • Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth
  • Cancer Research

These publications reflect an active engagement with research topics at the intersection of material behavior under extreme conditions, geophysical processes, and some overlap with legal and political science scholarship. Their research output illustrates an integration of physical sciences methods with broader social science inquiries.

Best Publications

  • Anomalous Preservation of Pure Methane Hydrate at 1 atm

    Laura A. Stern;Susan Circone;Stephen H. Kirby;William B. Durham

  • Mantle phase changes and deep-earthquake faulting in subducting lithosphere

    Stephen H. Kirby;William B. Durham;Laura A. Stern

  • Peculiarities of Methane Clathrate Hydrate Formation and Solid-State Deformation, Including Possible Superheating of Water Ice

    Laura A. Stern;Stephen H. Kirby;William B. Durham

  • Plastic flow of oriented single crystals of olivine: 1. Mechanical data

    W. B. Durham;C. Goetze

  • The deformation-DIA: A new apparatus for high temperature triaxial deformation to pressures up to 15 GPa

    Yanbin Wang;William B. Durham;Ivan C. Getting;Donald J. Weidner

  • The strength and rheology of methane clathrate hydrate

    William B. Durham;Stephen H. Kirby;Laura A. Stern;Wu Zhang;Wu Zhang

  • CO2 hydrate: Synthesis, composition, structure, dissociation behavior, and a comparison to structure I CH4 hydrate

    Susan Circone;Laura A. Stern;Stephen H. Kirby;William B. Durham

  • Temperature, pressure, and compositional effects on anomalous or "self" preservation of gas hydrates

    Laura A. Stern;Susan Circone;Stephen H. Kirby;William B. Durham

  • New Technique for Decorating Dislocations in Olivine

    D. L. Kohlstedt;C. Goetze;W. B. Durham;J. Vander Sande

  • Plastic flow of oriented single crystals of olivine: 2. Observations and interpretations of the dislocation structures

    W. B. Durham;C. Goetze;B. Blake

  • Experimental deformation of polycrystalline H2O ice at high pressure and low temperature - Preliminary results

    W. B. Durham;H. C. Heard;S. H. Kirby

  • Self‐propping and fluid flow in slightly offset joints at high effective pressures

    W. B. Durham;B. P. Bonner

  • Friction of ice

    M.L. Beeman;W.B. Durham;Stephen H. Kirby

  • Effects of dispersed particulates on the rheology of water ice at planetary conditions

    William B. Durham;Stephen H. Kirby;Laura A. Stern

  • Creep of water ices at planetary conditions: A compilation

    William B. Durham;Stephen H. Kirby;Laura A. Stern

  • Dissolution rates of pure methane hydrate and carbon-dioxide hydrate in undersaturated seawater at 1000-m depth

    Gregor Rehder;Stephen H. Kirby;William B. Durham;Laura A. Stern

  • Direct observation of reactive flow in a single fracture

    William B. Durham;William L. Bourcier;Elizabeth A. Burton

  • Oxygen diffusion in olivine: Effect of oxygen fugacity and implications for creep

    F. J. Ryerson;W. B. Durham;D. J. Cherniak;W. A. Lanford

  • Polycrystalline Methane Hydrate: Synthesis from Superheated Ice, and Low-Temperature Mechanical Properties

    Laura A. Stern;Stephen H. Kirby;William B. Durham

  • Scanning Electron Microscopy investigations of laboratory-grown gas clathrate hydrates formed from melting ice, and comparison to natural hydrates

    Laura A. Stern;Stephen H. Kirby;Susan Circone;William B. Durham

  • Oxygen self-diffusion in forsterite: Implications for the high-temperature creep mechanism

    O. Jaoul;C. Froidevaux;W.B. Durham;M. Michaut

  • The state and future of Mars polar science and exploration.

    Stephen M. Clifford;David Crisp;David A. Fisher;Ken E. Herkenhoff

  • The Brittle-Ductile Transition in Rocks

    A. G. Duba;W. B. Durham;J. W. Handin;H. F. Wang

  • Experimental constraints on the strength of the lithospheric mantle

    S. Mei;A. M. Suzuki;D. L. Kohlstedt;N. A. Dixon

  • Experimental deformation of polycrystalline H2O ice at high pressure and low temperature - Preliminary results. [implications for Ganymede and Callisto]

    W. B. Durham;H. C. Heard;S. H. Kirby

Frequent Co-Authors

Stephen H. Kirby
Stephen H. Kirby United States Geological Survey
Laura A. Stern
Laura A. Stern United States Geological Survey
David L. Kohlstedt
David L. Kohlstedt University of Minnesota
David J. Prior
David J. Prior University of Otago
Donald J. Weidner
Donald J. Weidner Stony Brook University
Yanbin Wang
Yanbin Wang University of Chicago
William F. Waite
William F. Waite United States Geological Survey
Richard W. Zurek
Richard W. Zurek Jet Propulsion Lab
Ian Baker
Ian Baker Dartmouth College

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