John Tuzo Wilson
John Tuzo Wilson , CC , OBE , FRS , FRSC , FRSE (born October 24, 1908 in Ottawa , Ontario , Canada ; † April 15, 1993 in Toronto , Ontario, Canada) was a Canadian geophysicist and geologist who engaged in exploration of glaciers and the mapping of geological units.
Wilson developed the first general map of Canadian glaciers and gained international recognition for his work on mountain formation, the geology of sea basins, and the structure of continents. He became particularly well known for his formulation on hot spots and their importance in relation to seafloor spreading . He is considered one of the pioneers of plate tectonics. In 1970 he formulated the Wilson cycle named after him . Thereafter, the development of continental plates goes through a constant cycle from rift fracture to sea formation and collision with mountain formation and subduction of oceanic areas until a uniform plate is available again.
CV and academic career
John Tuzo Wilson was born in Ottawa in 1908 . He studied in Toronto and the University of Cambridge , among other places, and obtained his doctorate in 1936 from Princeton University , New Jersey . He then worked on the Geological Survey of Canada until the outbreak of World War II .
After serving in the army as an engineer, he returned to Canada. Wilson became professor of geophysics at the University of Toronto in 1946 , where he earned great recognition over the next 14 years for his work on the geological structures of the Canadian Shield using the newly evolving method of geochronology . He gained worldwide recognition with his publications on plate tectonics .
In 1974 John Tuzo Wilson retired, but continued to work as an excellent lecturer and professor emeritus . Between 1983 and 1986 he served as Chancellor of York University and was also committed to the Ontario Science Center , of which he was General Director until 1985.
John Tuzo Wilson died of heart failure on April 15, 1993 in Toronto .
Awards
Wilson has received numerous awards for his scientific achievements, including a. the following:
- Member of the National Academy of Sciences (1968)
- Penrose Medal of the Geological Society of America (1968)
- Walter H. Bucher Medal of the American Geophysical Union (1968)
- Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1970)
- Vetlesen Prize (1978)
- John J. Carty Award from the National Academy of Sciences (1975)
- Wollaston Medal of the Geological Society of London (1978)
- Honorary Member ( Honorary Fellow ) of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1986)
In recognition of his services to geology and geophysics, the Wilson Mountains in Antarctica and an extinct volcano on the bottom of the Pacific were named after Tuzo Wilson . The Canadian Geophysical Union also awards the J. Tuzo Wilson Medal named after him , which he himself was the first to receive in 1978.
See also
Important publications
- Wilson, JT: Evidence from islands on the spreading of the ocean floor. Nature , 197, pp. 536-538 (1963)
- Wilson, JT: A new class of faults and their bearing on continental drift. Nature , 207, pp. 343-347 (1965)
Individual evidence
- ^ Fellows Directory. Biographical Index: Former RSE Fellows 1783–2002. (PDF file) Royal Society of Edinburgh, accessed April 24, 2020 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wilson, John Tuzo |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian geologist, geophysicist and glacier researcher, pioneer of plate tectonics |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 24, 1908 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Ottawa , Ontario , Canada |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 15, 1993 |
| Place of death | Toronto , Ontario , Canada |