Sigurdur Thorarinsson

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The new volcanic island of Surtsey, which rose out of the sea in 1963, was the subject of one of Sigurdur Thorarinsson's many books.

Sigurdur Thorarinsson or Sigurður Þórarinsson (January 8, 1912–February 8, 1983) was an Icelandic geologist, volcanologist, professor and lyricist. He is considered a pioneer in the field of tephrochronology, and he made significant contributions in many areas of geology and volcanology, both in Iceland and abroad.

Thorarinsson was born in Vopnafjörður in northeastern Iceland in 1912. He received his Ph. D. in 1944 and began a long and distinguished academic career as professor of geography at the University of Iceland. According to his obituary in The Geographical Journal, "He was something of a polymath who contrived to take geology, geomorphology, glaciology, climatology, and archaeology in his stride."

He died in Reykjavík in 1983. Subsequently, the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) decided to name its highest award the Thorarinsson Medal in his honor.

Sigurdur Thorarinsson is the author of the lyrics to many well-known Icelandic songs, such as Þórsmerkurljóð (María María), Vorkvöld í Reykjavík and Að lífið sé skjálfandi.

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Books and Theses

Thorarinsson, Sigurdur (1944). Tefrokronologiska studier på Island : Þjórsárdalur och dess förödelse. Thesis (doctoral)--Stockholms Högskola, 217 pp..
Thorarinsson, Sigurdur (1970). Hekla: A Notorious Volcano. Almenna bókafélagið, Reykjavík.
Nawrath, Alfred; Sigurdur Thorarinsson, Halldor Laxness (1959). Iceland: Impressions of a Heroic Landscape. Kümmerly & Frey, Berne.
many more to list . . .

[edit] Selected Significant Articles

Thorarinsson, Sigurdur; T. Einarsson and G. Kjartansson (1959). "On the Geology and Geomorphology of Iceland". Geografiska annaler 41 (2–3): 135–169.
many more to list . . .