Peter John Wyllie
Encyclopedia
Peter John Wyllie is a petrologist
who was Professor of Geology at Caltech from 1983 until his retirement in 1999. Prior to this, he held positions at the University of St Andrews
(1955/6), the University of Pennsylvania
(1958/9 and 1961-6), the University of Leeds
(1959–1961), and the University of Chicago
(1965–1983). He is well known for his many contributions to the understanding of magmatism
, particularly through his work on the experimental petrology of magmas and volatiles. In the early 1970s, Wyllie wrote two widely used textbooks (The Dynamic Earth, 1971; and The Way the Earth Works, 1976) which integrated the new understanding of magmatism and plate tectonics
. He is also famous for his contributions to the coverage of earth science
s in the Encyclopædia Britannica
, particularly his outline of the field in Part Two of the Propædia
.
Petrology
Petrology is the branch of geology that studies rocks, and the conditions in which rocks form....
who was Professor of Geology at Caltech from 1983 until his retirement in 1999. Prior to this, he held positions at the University of St Andrews
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
(1955/6), the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
(1958/9 and 1961-6), the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
(1959–1961), and the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
(1965–1983). He is well known for his many contributions to the understanding of magmatism
Magmatism
The formation of igneous rocks from magma is known as Magmatism.Magmatism is a process responsible for mountain formation. The process of magmatism produces an additional mass and volume to the Earth’s surface. For example the formation of volcanoes or island arcs at convergent plate boundaries...
, particularly through his work on the experimental petrology of magmas and volatiles. In the early 1970s, Wyllie wrote two widely used textbooks (The Dynamic Earth, 1971; and The Way the Earth Works, 1976) which integrated the new understanding of magmatism and plate tectonics
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...
. He is also famous for his contributions to the coverage of earth science
Earth science
Earth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
s in the Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
, particularly his outline of the field in Part Two of the Propædia
Propædia
The one-volume Propædia is the first of three parts of the 15th edition of Encyclopædia Britannica, the other two being the 12-volume Micropædia and the 17-volume Macropædia. The Propædia is intended as a topical organization of the Britannica's contents, complementary to the alphabetical...
.
Awards and honours
- Polar MedalPolar MedalThe Polar Medal is a medal awarded by the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It was instituted in 1857 as the Arctic Medal and renamed the Polar Medal in 1904.-History:...
, 1954 - National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe 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...
, USA, 1981 - Wollaston MedalWollaston MedalThe Wollaston Medal is a scientific award for geology, the highest award granted by the Geological Society of London.The medal is named after William Hyde Wollaston, and was first awarded in 1831...
, Geological Society of LondonGeological Society of LondonThe Geological Society of London is a learned society based in the United Kingdom with the aim of "investigating the mineral structure of the Earth"...
, 1982 - Fellow of the Royal Society, London, 1984
- Roebling MedalRoebling MedalThe Roebling Medal is the highest award of the Mineralogical Society of America for scientific eminence as represented primarily by scientific publication of outstanding original research in mineralogy. The award is named for Colonel Washington A. Roebling who was an engineer, bridge builder,...
, Mineralogical Society of AmericaMineralogical Society of AmericaThe Mineralogical Society of America is a scientific membership organization. MSA was founded in 1919 for the advancement of mineralogy, crystallography, geochemistry, and petrology, and promotion of their uses in other sciences, industry, and the arts...
, 1991