Knut S. Heier
Encyclopedia
Knut Sigurdsøn Heier was a Norwegian geochemist. He was a professor at the University of Oslo
and the Norwegian Institute of Technology
between 1968 and 1989, and was also director of the Norwegian Geological Survey
. Heier also spent parts of his research abroad, and was a member of the Apollo Project.
as the son of an engineer. He graduated from the University of Oslo
with the cand.real. degree in 1954, with a paper on tungsten
. He subsequently turned down a job offer from the private sector to work on a doctoral thesis. He started with a year of field work at Bø i Vesterålen, from 1955, and then went to Oxford
to conduct laboratory work. He finally took the dr.philos. degree in 1960. He then did postdoctoral research for two years at Rice University
. He was offered a senior fellowship at the Australian National University
, but instead returned to Norway.
at the University of Oslo from 1968 to 1979 and in geology
at the Norwegian Institute of Technology
from 1979 to 1989. In addition to these two fields, he published scientific works in petrology
, mineralogy
and geophysics
—130 works in total. He also participated with neutron activation analysis
in the Apollo Project. During his time, Norway was an emerging petroleum power. Heier helped ensure that research positions relevant to petroleum were funded. This has been considered as a necessary renewal of the focus of geology in Norway.
From 1974 to 1994 he presided over the Norwegian Geological Survey
. He was also an adjunct professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
, and a member of Norway's three learned societies; the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
and the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences. He received the Brøgger Prize, named for Waldemar Christofer Brøgger, in 2007.
Heier was married and had children. He died in September 2008, at 79 years of age.
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
and the Norwegian Institute of Technology
Norwegian Institute of Technology
The Norwegian Institute of Technology, known by its Norwegian abbrevation NTH was a science institute in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1910, and existed as an independent technical university for 85 years, after which it was merged into the University of Trondheim as an independent...
between 1968 and 1989, and was also director of the Norwegian Geological Survey
Norwegian Geological Survey
Norwegian Geological Survey , abbr:NGU is a Norwegian government agency responsible for geologic mapping and research. The agency is located in Trondheim with an office in Tromsø, with about 225 employees...
. Heier also spent parts of his research abroad, and was a member of the Apollo Project.
Education
He was born in BærumBærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
as the son of an engineer. He graduated from the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
with the cand.real. degree in 1954, with a paper on tungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
. He subsequently turned down a job offer from the private sector to work on a doctoral thesis. He started with a year of field work at Bø i Vesterålen, from 1955, and then went to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
to conduct laboratory work. He finally took the dr.philos. degree in 1960. He then did postdoctoral research for two years at Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
. He was offered a senior fellowship at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, but instead returned to Norway.
Later career
He was a professor of geochemistryGeochemistry
The field of geochemistry involves study of the chemical composition of the Earth and other planets, chemical processes and reactions that govern the composition of rocks, water, and soils, and the cycles of matter and energy that transport the Earth's chemical components in time and space, and...
at the University of Oslo from 1968 to 1979 and in geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
at the Norwegian Institute of Technology
Norwegian Institute of Technology
The Norwegian Institute of Technology, known by its Norwegian abbrevation NTH was a science institute in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1910, and existed as an independent technical university for 85 years, after which it was merged into the University of Trondheim as an independent...
from 1979 to 1989. In addition to these two fields, he published scientific works in petrology
Petrology
Petrology is the branch of geology that studies rocks, and the conditions in which rocks form....
, mineralogy
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...
and geophysics
Geophysics
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and...
—130 works in total. He also participated with neutron activation analysis
Neutron activation analysis
In chemistry, neutron activation analysis is a nuclear process used for determining the concentrations of elements in a vast amount of materials. NAA allows discrete sampling of elements as it disregards the chemical form of a sample, and focuses solely on its nucleus. The method is based on...
in the Apollo Project. During his time, Norway was an emerging petroleum power. Heier helped ensure that research positions relevant to petroleum were funded. This has been considered as a necessary renewal of the focus of geology in Norway.
From 1974 to 1994 he presided over the Norwegian Geological Survey
Norwegian Geological Survey
Norwegian Geological Survey , abbr:NGU is a Norwegian government agency responsible for geologic mapping and research. The agency is located in Trondheim with an office in Tromsø, with about 225 employees...
. He was also an adjunct professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology , commonly known as NTNU, is located in Trondheim. NTNU is the second largest of the eight universities in Norway, and, as its name suggests, has the main national responsibility for higher education in engineering and technology...
, and a member of Norway's three learned societies; the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters is a learned society based in Trondheim, Norway.-History:DKNVS was founded in 1760 by bishop of Nidaros Johan Ernst Gunnerus, headmaster at the Trondheim Cathedral School Gerhard Schøning and Councillor of State Peter Frederik Suhm under the name...
, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway.-History:The University of Oslo was established in 1811. The idea of a learned society in Christiania surfaced for the first time in 1841. The city of Throndhjem had no university, but had a learned...
and the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences. He received the Brøgger Prize, named for Waldemar Christofer Brøgger, in 2007.
Heier was married and had children. He died in September 2008, at 79 years of age.