Hans Stille
Encyclopedia
Hans Wilhelm Stille was an influential German
geologist
working primarily on tectonics
and the collation of tectonic events during the Phanerozoic
.
He was born in Hanover
, Germany, and was educated in Göttingen
. For his graduate studies he studied mountain building in the region of the Teutoburg Forest
. After graduation he served with the royal Prussia
n geological institute, making photographic surveys. His work would influence his future career, as he focused on tectonics.
Hans Stille served as professor of geology at the University of Göttingen. Working from the University of Göttingen and, later, the University of Berlin
, Stille brought together a table of around 50 geosynchronous
orogenic phases
that occurred during the Phanerozoic Eon. In the framework developed by Stille, these phases occurred as small pulses during which a portion of the Earth
's crust
was stabilised, and the continent
s were enlarged. In 1924 he suggested a tectonic model for the continents that postulated alternating periods of orogenic
(mountain building) and epeirogenic (no mountain building) episodes.
Further work studying internal details of the crust led Stille to expand the geosyncline concept
. This useful synthesis of geological theory persisted until the mid-20th century, but was ultimately supplanted by plate tectonics
. As well as providing a better explanation of tectonic events, this also undermined Stille's notion of globally correlated phases of orogeny. Notably, seafloor spreading
, the mechanism driving what Stille had come to call geosyncline cycles, was only established as such in the year of his death.
He would introduce the term Craton
into the geologic vocabulary in 1933 that was used to describe those portions of the continental crust that were old and stable. The Geotectonic Research journal was founded in 1937 by Hans Stille and Franz Lotze.
He died in Hanover.
(ZnSe) and the wrinkle ridge Dorsa Stille
on the Moon
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
working primarily on tectonics
Tectonics
Tectonics is a field of study within geology concerned generally with the structures within the lithosphere of the Earth and particularly with the forces and movements that have operated in a region to create these structures.Tectonics is concerned with the orogenies and tectonic development of...
and the collation of tectonic events during the Phanerozoic
Phanerozoic
The Phanerozoic Eon is the current eon in the geologic timescale, and the one during which abundant animal life has existed. It covers roughly 542 million years and goes back to the time when diverse hard-shelled animals first appeared...
.
He was born in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, Germany, and was educated in Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
. For his graduate studies he studied mountain building in the region of the Teutoburg Forest
Teutoburg Forest
The Teutoburg Forest is a range of low, forested mountains in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia which used to be believed to be the scene of a decisive battle in AD 9...
. After graduation he served with the royal Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n geological institute, making photographic surveys. His work would influence his future career, as he focused on tectonics.
Hans Stille served as professor of geology at the University of Göttingen. Working from the University of Göttingen and, later, the University of Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
, Stille brought together a table of around 50 geosynchronous
Synchronization
Synchronization is timekeeping which requires the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. The familiar conductor of an orchestra serves to keep the orchestra in time....
orogenic phases
Orogeny
Orogeny refers to forces and events leading to a severe structural deformation of the Earth's crust due to the engagement of tectonic plates. Response to such engagement results in the formation of long tracts of highly deformed rock called orogens or orogenic belts...
that occurred during the Phanerozoic Eon. In the framework developed by Stille, these phases occurred as small pulses during which a portion of the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
's crust
Crust (geology)
In geology, the crust is the outermost solid shell of a rocky planet or natural satellite, which is chemically distinct from the underlying mantle...
was stabilised, and the continent
Continent
A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is...
s were enlarged. In 1924 he suggested a tectonic model for the continents that postulated alternating periods of orogenic
Orogeny
Orogeny refers to forces and events leading to a severe structural deformation of the Earth's crust due to the engagement of tectonic plates. Response to such engagement results in the formation of long tracts of highly deformed rock called orogens or orogenic belts...
(mountain building) and epeirogenic (no mountain building) episodes.
Further work studying internal details of the crust led Stille to expand the geosyncline concept
Geosyncline
In geology, geosyncline is a term still occasionally used for a subsiding linear trough that was caused by the accumulation of sedimentary rock strata deposited in a basin and subsequently compressed, deformed, and uplifted into a mountain range, with attendant volcanism and plutonism...
. This useful synthesis of geological theory persisted until the mid-20th century, but was ultimately supplanted by plate tectonics
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...
. As well as providing a better explanation of tectonic events, this also undermined Stille's notion of globally correlated phases of orogeny. Notably, seafloor spreading
Seafloor spreading
Seafloor spreading is a process that occurs at mid-ocean ridges, where new oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity and then gradually moves away from the ridge. Seafloor spreading helps explain continental drift in the theory of plate tectonics....
, the mechanism driving what Stille had come to call geosyncline cycles, was only established as such in the year of his death.
He would introduce the term Craton
Craton
A craton is an old and stable part of the continental lithosphere. Having often survived cycles of merging and rifting of continents, cratons are generally found in the interiors of tectonic plates. They are characteristically composed of ancient crystalline basement rock, which may be covered by...
into the geologic vocabulary in 1933 that was used to describe those portions of the continental crust that were old and stable. The Geotectonic Research journal was founded in 1937 by Hans Stille and Franz Lotze.
He died in Hanover.
Honors
The Hans-Stille Medal of German Geological Society, awarded annually, is named after him. Also named for him is the mineral StilleiteStilleite
Stilleite is a selinide mineral, zinc selenide with formula ZnSe. It has been found only as microscopic grey crystals associated with other selenides. It was originally discovered in Katanga Province, Zaire in 1956 and is named for the German geologist, Hans Stille ....
(ZnSe) and the wrinkle ridge Dorsa Stille
Dorsa Stille
Dorsa Stille is a wrinkle ridge system at in Mare Imbrium on the Moon. It is 80 km long and was named after Hans Stille in 1976....
on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
.
External links
- Short Biography (German)