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Xavier Le Pichon

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Xavier Le Pichon
Born (1937-06-18) 18 June 1937 (age 87)
CitizenshipFrench
Known forComprehensive model of plate tectonics
AwardsCNRS Silver Medal, member of the French Academy of Sciences; knight of the Legion of Honour; Wollaston Medal; foreign associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences
Scientific career
FieldsGeophysics
InstitutionsColumbia University, Collège de France, oceanological centre of Brittany, Pierre and Marie Curie University, École Normale Supérieure

Xavier Le Pichon (French pronunciation: [ɡzavje piʃɔ̃]; born 18 June 1937 in Qui Nhơn, French protectorate of Annam (later South Vietnam and today Vietnam)) is a French geophysicist.[1] Among many other contributions, he is known for his comprehensive model of plate tectonics (1968), helping create the field of plate tectonics. In 1968 he combined the kinematic ideas of W. J. Morgan, D. McKenzie and R. L. Parker with the large data sets collected by Lamont, and especially with the respective magnetic profiles, to show that Plate Tectonics could accurately describe the evolution of the major ocean basins. He is professor at the Collège de France, holder of the Chair of Geodynamics (1986–2008).[1] He is a lifelong devout Catholic, and has come to think of caring attention to others' weakness as an essential quality that allowed humanity to evolve.[2] He lives with his wife and has five children and eleven grandchildren.

Biography

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Le Pichon holds a doctorate in physics. Professional career:[1]

Prizes and memberships of learned societies

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Works

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  • Riffaud, Claude; Le Pichon, Xavier (1976). Expédition 'Famous' à 3000 m sous l'Atlantique. Paris: Albin Michel.
  • Le Pichon, Xavier (1986). kaiko voyage aux extremites de la mer. Le Seuil: Odile Jacob. ISBN 978-2738113238.
  • Yijie, Tang; Le Pichon, Xavier (1999). La mort. Paris: Desclée de Brouwer. ISBN 978-2220044026.
  • Le Pichon, Xavier; Francheteau, Jean; Bonnin, Jean (2013). Plate Tectonics (revised ed.). Elsevier. ISBN 9781483257273.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Biography of Xavier Le Pichon". Collège de France. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  2. ^ Le Pichon, Xavier (21 July 2016). "The fragility at the heart of humanity". On Being with Krista Tippett. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  3. ^ Laureates of the Japan Prize. japanprize.jp
  4. ^ "Wollaston Medal". Award Winners since 1831. Geological Society of London. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  5. ^ "Xavier Le Pichon". International Balzan Prize Foundation. Retrieved 31 August 2015.

Further reading

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