W. Brian Harland
Encyclopedia
W. Brian Harland was a geologist
at the University of Cambridge Department of Earth Sciences
, England. In 1968, he was honoured with the Royal Geographical Society
Gold Medal for Arctic exploration and research.
in York
and Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, where he graduated in Geological Sciences and took his PhD; from 1950 until his death. He was deeply interested in the interactions between science, philosophy, and religion, and for most of his life was a Quaker.
and making the first observations of the global occurrence of glaciation, which were to form the foundations of Snowball Earth
theory. He was also a figure in the ongoing maintenance of the International Geologic timescale.
He also spent 43 field seasons in the geological mapping of the Polar archipelago of Svalbard
, beginning in 1938 and ending in the 1980s, leading 29 expeditions. The ice field "Harlandisen" on the main island of Spitsbergen
is named in his honour. The University retains a collection of some 70,000 specimens collected over these years.
Harland spent much of the Second World War teaching at West China University, know known as the Chengdu University of Technology
, and later in life would become a trustee of the Needham Research Institute
and a fellow of Caius.
Gold Medal for Arctic exploration and research.
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...
at the University of Cambridge Department of Earth Sciences
University of Cambridge Department of Earth Sciences
The Department of Earth Sciences at Cambridge is the University of Cambridge's Earth Sciences department. The main location of the department is at the Downing Site, Downing St. The Bullard Laboratories, located in West Cambridge on Madingley Rd, and the Godwin Laboratory, in the New Museums Site...
, England. In 1968, he was honoured with the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
Gold Medal for Arctic exploration and research.
Personal background
Harland was born in Scarborough, and educated at Bootham SchoolBootham School
Bootham School is an independent Quaker boarding school in the city of York in North Yorkshire, England. It was founded by the Religious Society of Friends in 1823. It is close to York Minster. The current headmaster is Jonathan Taylor. The school's motto Membra Sumus Corporis Magni means "We...
in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
and Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, where he graduated in Geological Sciences and took his PhD; from 1950 until his death. He was deeply interested in the interactions between science, philosophy, and religion, and for most of his life was a Quaker.
Professional background
In Cambridge, Harland was instrumental in the establishment of the Cambridge Arctic Shelf Programme (CASP). He played an early role in the avocation of the theory of continental driftContinental drift
Continental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other. The hypothesis that continents 'drift' was first put forward by Abraham Ortelius in 1596 and was fully developed by Alfred Wegener in 1912...
and making the first observations of the global occurrence of glaciation, which were to form the foundations of Snowball Earth
Snowball Earth
The Snowball Earth hypothesis posits that the Earth's surface became entirely or nearly entirely frozen at least once, some time earlier than 650 Ma . Proponents of the hypothesis argue that it best explains sedimentary deposits generally regarded as of glacial origin at tropical...
theory. He was also a figure in the ongoing maintenance of the International Geologic timescale.
He also spent 43 field seasons in the geological mapping of the Polar archipelago of Svalbard
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
, beginning in 1938 and ending in the 1980s, leading 29 expeditions. The ice field "Harlandisen" on the main island of Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
is named in his honour. The University retains a collection of some 70,000 specimens collected over these years.
Harland spent much of the Second World War teaching at West China University, know known as the Chengdu University of Technology
Chengdu University of Technology
Chengdu University of Technology was founded in 1956 and is located in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China.-History:The university was called Chengdu College of Geology before 1993. In May 2001, two other colleges amalgamated with the CDUT...
, and later in life would become a trustee of the Needham Research Institute
Needham Research Institute
The Needham Research Institute or NRI, located on the grounds of the Robinson College, in Cambridge, England, is a center for research into the history of science, technology and medicine in East Asia. It is part of the University of Cambridge...
and a fellow of Caius.
Awards
In 1968, Dr. W. Brian Harland received the Royal Geographical SocietyRoyal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
Gold Medal for Arctic exploration and research.
External links
- Geological Society of London. Walter Brian Harland