Þorvaldur Thoroddsen
Encyclopedia
Þorvaldur Thoroddsen was an Icelandic geologist
and geographer
.
. He graduated from the Learned School of Reykjavík
in 1875 and then immediately proceeded to Copenhagen to further his studies. He studied natural history
and zoology
but also nourished a strong interest in geology
; this was amplified in 1876 when he served as a guide for the geologist Johannes Frederik Johnstrup
in an expedition to Iceland to study Askja
and the volcanoes at Mývatn
.
Unable to complete his studies for financial reasons Þorvaldur accepted a teaching placement at Möðruvellir in the north of Iceland in 1880 and worked there until 1885 when he became an adjunct at the Learned School. In 1887 he married Þóra, daughter of bishop Pétur Pétursson. They had one child, Sigríður (1888 - 1903). Þóra died in 1917.
In 1899, Þorvaldur resigned his position at the Learned School. The Althing
granted him a generous pension which enabled him to live in Copenhagen and work on research and writing. In 1894, he was granted an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Copenhagen
and in 1902 he was named Professor.
. Björn had concentrated his precise measurements on the inhabited areas and a significant amount of work remained to be done in the central highlands. In 1901 Þorvaldur published a geological map of Iceland, where he incorporated his corrections to Björn Gunnlaugsson's map.
During the time he lived in Copenhagen, Þorvaldur wrote a number of books and articles on geology and geography, especially as regards Iceland. Initially he was a liberal evolutionist but his ideas on biology and politics changed greatly during his career and later in life he can be described as a very conservative anti-evolutionist.
He was awarded the Charles P. Daly Medal
by the American Geographical Society
in 1906.
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 geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
.
Life
Þorvaldur was the son of the writer Jón ThoroddsenJón Thoroddsen elder
Jón Thoroddsen elder was an Icelandic author.His novels Piltur og Stúlka and Maður og Kona mark the beginning of the modern Icelandic novel. His son, Þorvaldur Thoroddsen, became a well-known scientist.-In English:* Lad and Lass, a Story of Life in Iceland , trans...
. He graduated from the Learned School of Reykjavík
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík is the oldest gymnasium in Reykjavík, Iceland....
in 1875 and then immediately proceeded to Copenhagen to further his studies. He studied natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
but also nourished a strong interest 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...
; this was amplified in 1876 when he served as a guide for the geologist Johannes Frederik Johnstrup
Frederik Johnstrup
Professor Johannes Frederik Johnstrup , was a Danish geologist and paleontologist. He was the founder of Meddelelser om Grønland....
in an expedition to Iceland to study Askja
Askja
Askja is a stratovolcano situated in a remote part of the central highlands of Iceland. The name Askja refers to a complex of nested calderas within the surrounding Dyngjufjöll mountains, which rise to , askja meaning box or caldera in Icelandic-Location:The region is only accessible for a few...
and the volcanoes at Mývatn
Mývatn
Mývatn is a shallow eutrophic lake situated in an area of active volcanism in the north of Iceland, not far from Krafla volcano. The lake and its surrounding wetlands have an exceptionally rich fauna of waterbirds, especially ducks...
.
Unable to complete his studies for financial reasons Þorvaldur accepted a teaching placement at Möðruvellir in the north of Iceland in 1880 and worked there until 1885 when he became an adjunct at the Learned School. In 1887 he married Þóra, daughter of bishop Pétur Pétursson. They had one child, Sigríður (1888 - 1903). Þóra died in 1917.
In 1899, Þorvaldur resigned his position at the Learned School. The Althing
Althing
The Alþingi, anglicised variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national parliament of Iceland. The Althingi is the oldest parliamentary institution in the world still extant...
granted him a generous pension which enabled him to live in Copenhagen and work on research and writing. In 1894, he was granted an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
and in 1902 he was named Professor.
Work
During his expedition with Johnstrup, Þorvaldur was stricken by the nature of Iceland's large uninhabited areas. He resolved to investigate the nature of the island, especially its geology which up till then had been sparsely mapped and studied. From 1881 to 1898 he undertook expeditions to gather data. During his work, Þorvaldur ran into the limitations of the 1848 map of Iceland by Björn GunnlaugssonBjörn Gunnlaugsson
Björn Gunnlaugsson was an Icelandic mathematician and cartographer. For the Icelandic Literary Society, he surveyed the country from 1831 to 1843. The results of his work were published in a topographic map of Iceland at a scale of 1:480,000 on four sheets...
. Björn had concentrated his precise measurements on the inhabited areas and a significant amount of work remained to be done in the central highlands. In 1901 Þorvaldur published a geological map of Iceland, where he incorporated his corrections to Björn Gunnlaugsson's map.
During the time he lived in Copenhagen, Þorvaldur wrote a number of books and articles on geology and geography, especially as regards Iceland. Initially he was a liberal evolutionist but his ideas on biology and politics changed greatly during his career and later in life he can be described as a very conservative anti-evolutionist.
He was awarded the Charles P. Daly Medal
Charles P. Daly Medal
The Charles P. Daly Medal is awarded to individuals by the American Geographical Society "for valuable or distinguished geographical services or labors." The medal was established in 1902. This medal was originally designed by Victor D. Brenner, but the destruction of the dies caused the medal to...
by the American Geographical Society
American 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 1906.