John Tuzo Wilson |
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John Tuzo Wilson in 1992 |
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In office
1983–1986 |
| Preceded by | John S. Proctor |
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| Succeeded by | Larry Clarke |
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In office
1968–1974 |
| Preceded by | David Carlton Williams |
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| Succeeded by | E.A. "Peter" Robinson |
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| Born | (1908-10-24)October 24, 1908
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| Died | April 15, 1993(1993-04-15) (aged 84)
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| Education | |
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| Known for | Theory of plate tectonics |
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| Awards | - Officer, Order of Canada
- Companion, Order of Canada
- Fellow, Royal Society of Canada
- Fellow, Royal Society of London
- Fellow, Royal Society of Edinburgh
- Legion of Merit
- Order of the British Empire
- Maurice Ewing Medal, AGU
- Maurice Ewing Medal, SEG
- Bucher Medal, SEG
- Penrose Medal, GSA
- Wegener Medal, EUG
- Wollaston Medal, Geological Society
- Vetlesen Prize, Columbia University
- Canada Centennial Medal
- 125th Anniversary Medal (Canada)
John J. Carty Award (1975)
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| Fields | Geophysics, geology |
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| Institutions | University of Toronto |
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| Thesis | The Geology of the Mill Creek – Stillwater Area, Montana (1936) |
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| Doctoral advisor | William Taylor Thom, Jr |
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| Doctoral students | Harold Williams |
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John Tuzo Wilson (October 24, 1908 – April 15, 1993) was a Canadian geophysicist and geologist who achieved worldwide acclaim for his contributions to the theory of plate tectonics. He added the concept of hot spots, a volcanic region hotter than the surrounding mantle (as in the Hawaii hotspot). He also conceived of the transform fault, a major plate boundary where two plates move past each other horizontally (e.g., the San Andreas Fault).
His name was given to two young Canadian submarine volcanoes called the Tuzo Wilson Seamounts. The Wilson cycle of seabed expansion and contraction (associated with the Supercontinent cycle) bears his name. One of the two large low-shear-velocity provinces was given the name Tuzo after him, the other being named Jason after W. Jason Morgan, who furthered Wilson's work into plume theory.