Lauge Koch
Encyclopedia
Lauge Koch was a Danish geologist
and Arctic explorer.
He was the renowned leader of 24 Danish
government expeditions to Greenland
, and the central character in the Lauge Koch Controversy, an international and intra-national conflict. Beginning in December 1935 a bitter conflict arose between Koch and eleven of the most prominent Danish geologists of the day, including O. B. Bøggild, director of The Mineralogical Museum and professor at the Geological Institute of Copenhagen University
, and Victor Madsen, head of the Geological Survey of Denmark
.
Controversy started with a review of the Lauge Koch book Geologie von Grönland (1935) written by ‘the eleven’ and accusing Koch of poor and improper scientific practice. Relating to the years 1921–23 in which Lauge Koch conducted the Bicentenary Jubilee Expedition to North Greenland in the year of the bicentennial jubilee of Hans Egede
's landing in Greenland, Koch made a sledge journey along the north coast of Greenland, round Peary Land and back across the Inland Ice. On this journey Koch discovered a depression which in his opinion was the one that Robert Peary
in 1892 had mistaken for a channel. Koch's observations of the interior of Independence Bay led to considerable cartographic changes compared with the Peter Freuchen
map of 1912.
In 1938, Lauge Koch found in the mountains west of Jameson Land
, near Scoresby Sound, the skeleton of a huge extinct mammal similar to the head of a gigantic animal with huge teeth found by Professor Selim Hassan
in 1935 near the pyramid
of Chephren in South America
. The skeleton found by Koch was displayed at the museum in Copenhagen
.
Amongst his other contributions to the sciences, in the mid-1930s Koch established a network of field stations and traveling huts in Central East Greenland. This establishment of a permanent infrastructure in the field caused a change in the whole culture and organization of Danish Arctic exploration.
The mineral kochite
which is found in Mt Hvide Ryg, Werner Bjerge, and the former Greenland county of Tunu
was named for Koch in honor of his explorations in the same areas.
in 1924, and its Daly Medal in 1930. In 1949 he was awarded the Mary Clark Thompson Medal
from the National Academy of Sciences
.
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...
and Arctic explorer.
He was the renowned leader of 24 Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
government expeditions to Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, and the central character in the Lauge Koch Controversy, an international and intra-national conflict. Beginning in December 1935 a bitter conflict arose between Koch and eleven of the most prominent Danish geologists of the day, including O. B. Bøggild, director of The Mineralogical Museum and professor at the Geological Institute of Copenhagen University
University of Copenhagen Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen consists of both mathematical and natural sciences, and is divided into 11 institutes including the Natural History Museum of Denmark...
, and Victor Madsen, head of the Geological Survey of Denmark
Geus
GEUS is an abbreviation for Danmarks og Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse, the Danish name for the independent sector research institute under the Ministry of the Environment...
.
Controversy started with a review of the Lauge Koch book Geologie von Grönland (1935) written by ‘the eleven’ and accusing Koch of poor and improper scientific practice. Relating to the years 1921–23 in which Lauge Koch conducted the Bicentenary Jubilee Expedition to North Greenland in the year of the bicentennial jubilee of Hans Egede
Hans Egede
Hans Poulsen Egede was a Norwegian-Danish Lutheran missionary who launched mission efforts to Greenland, which led him to be styled the Apostle of Greenland. He established a successful mission among the Inuit and is credited with revitalizing Dano-Norwegian interest in the island after contact...
's landing in Greenland, Koch made a sledge journey along the north coast of Greenland, round Peary Land and back across the Inland Ice. On this journey Koch discovered a depression which in his opinion was the one that Robert Peary
Robert Peary
Robert Edwin Peary, Sr. was an American explorer who claimed to have been the first person, on April 6, 1909, to reach the geographic North Pole...
in 1892 had mistaken for a channel. Koch's observations of the interior of Independence Bay led to considerable cartographic changes compared with the Peter Freuchen
Peter Freuchen
Peter Freuchen, born Lorenz Peter Elfred Freuchen was a Danish explorer, author, journalist and anthropologist.-Biography:...
map of 1912.
In 1938, Lauge Koch found in the mountains west of Jameson Land
Jameson Land
Jameson Land is a peninsula in eastern Greenland, bounded to the southwest by Scoresby Sund , to the northwest by the Greenlandic mainland, to the north by Scoresby Land, and to the east by Carlsberg Fjord, Liverpool Land and Hurry Inlet.-Geology:Jameson Land mainly consists of a tilted peneplain...
, near Scoresby Sound, the skeleton of a huge extinct mammal similar to the head of a gigantic animal with huge teeth found by Professor Selim Hassan
Selim Hassan
Selim Hassan was an Egyptian Egyptologist. He wrote the 16-volume Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt in Arabic and supervised the excavation of many ancient Egyptian tombs under the auspices of Cairo University.-Giza:...
in 1935 near the pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
of Chephren in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The skeleton found by Koch was displayed at the museum in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
Amongst his other contributions to the sciences, in the mid-1930s Koch established a network of field stations and traveling huts in Central East Greenland. This establishment of a permanent infrastructure in the field caused a change in the whole culture and organization of Danish Arctic exploration.
The mineral kochite
Kochite
Kochite is a rare silicate mineral with chemical formula of 3Ca2ZrTi[42] or double that. Kochite is a member of the rosenbuschite group.-Crystallography:...
which is found in Mt Hvide Ryg, Werner Bjerge, and the former Greenland county of Tunu
Tunu
Tunu/Østgrønland was one of the three counties of Greenland, until 31 December 2008. The county seat was at the main settlement, Tasiilaq...
was named for Koch in honor of his explorations in the same areas.
Honors
Koch was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the American Geographical SocietyAmerican Geographical Society
The American Geographical Society is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the world...
in 1924, and its Daly Medal in 1930. In 1949 he was awarded the Mary Clark Thompson Medal
Mary Clark Thompson Medal
The Mary Clark Thompson Medal is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences "for most important service to geology and paleontology." Named after Mary Clark Thompson, it was first awarded in 1921.- List of Mary Clark Thompson Medal winners :...
from the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
.