Browse "Earth scientists"

Albert Peter Low, geologist, explorer (b at Montréal 24 May 1861; d at Ottawa 9 Oct 1942). Low joined the Geological Survey of Canada on graduation from McGill. The Québec-Labrador border was eventually defined on the basis of his 1893-95 explorations.

Alexander Murray, geologist, explorer (b at Crieff, Scot 2 June 1810; d there 18 Dec 1884). Murray served in the Royal Navy 1824-35, and then in 1837 immigrated with his young bride to Woodstock, Upper Canada.

Alfred Richard Cecil Selwyn, geologist, director of the Geological Survey of Canada (born 28 July 1824 in Kilmington, England; died 19 October 1902 in Vancouver).

Francis Bain, geologist, ornithologist, botanist, author, artist (b at Charlottetown 25 Feb 1842; d at York Point, PEI 23 Nov 1894). Bain, a self-educated farmer, was an authority on Prince Edward Island rocks, FOSSILS and natural history.

Gordon Arthur Riley, oceanographer (b at Webb City, Mo 11 June 1911; d at Halifax 7 Oct 1985). A pioneer of quantitative biological oceanography, Riley became director of Dalhousie's Institute of Oceanography (later dept of oceanography) in 1965 and a fellow of the RSC.

John Thoburn Williamson, geologist, diamond-mine owner (b at Montfort, Qué 10 Feb 1907; d at Mwadui, Tanganyika, E Africa 7 Jan 1958). After receiving a doctorate in geology from McGill in 1933, he began mining exploration in Northern Rhodesia [Zambia] but soon switched to Tanganyika [Tanzania].

Wilson was internationally respected for his work on glaciers, mountain building, geology of ocean basins, and structure of continents; his greatest contribution lay in his explanation of PLATE TECTONICS.

Joseph Beete Jukes, geologist (b near Birmingham, Eng 10 Oct 1811; d at Dublin, Ire 29 July 1869). Jukes had attended geology lectures at St John's College, Cambridge, graduating with a BA in 1836.

Joseph Burr Tyrrell, geologist, explorer, historian (born 1 November 1858 in Weston, Canada West; died 26 August 1957 in Toronto, ON). Tyrrell explored the vast areas of western and northern Canada, consolidating information gathered by earlier explorers and filling in blank spots on the maps, especially in the Northwest Territories, while working for 17 years for the Geological Survey of Canada (1881–98).

The following article is an editorial written by The Canadian Encyclopedia staff. Editorials are not usually updated.

Sir James Hector, geologist, naturalist (b at Edinburgh, Scot 16 Mar 1834; d at Wellington, NZ 5 Nov 1907). As surgeon and geologist to the PALLISER EXPEDITION (1857-60), Hector explored the country from the Red River settlement

Sir John Murray, oceanographer (b at Cobourg, Canada W 3 Mar 1841; d at Kirkliston, Scot 16 Mar 1914). At 17, Murray moved to Scotland, the ocean voyage inspiring him in his lifelong career.

Thomas Griffith Taylor, geographer, educator, explorer (b at Walthamstow, Eng 1 Dec 1880; d at Sydney, Australia 4 Nov 1963). A dynamic personality who did research on every continent, Taylor founded the first Canadian department of geography at U of T (1935).

Timothy Richard Parsons, biological oceanographer (b in Sri Lanka [Ceylon] 1 Nov 1932). He received his doctorate in biochemistry at McGill and worked as a research scientist in Nanaimo, BC, for 11 years, Secretariat of UNESCO, Paris, for 2 years, and professor of oceanography, UBC, 1971 to present.

William Maxwell Cameron, physical oceanographer (b at Battleford, Sask 24 July 1914; d at Vancouver, 4 July 2008).