Sigurdur Thorarinsson

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Sigurdur Thorarinsson

Born January 8, 1912
Vopnafjörður, Iceland
Died February 8, 1983
Reykjavík, Iceland
Residence Iceland
Nationality Iceland
Fields Geology, Volcanology, Glaciology
Institutions University of Iceland, 1950–1983
Alma mater University of Copenhagen, 1931–1932
University of Stockholm, 1932-1944
Known for Pioneered the field of tephrochronology

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

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[edit] Biography

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 suddenly of a heart attack 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 . . .
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.
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.

[edit] References

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