Xavier Le Pichon
Xavier Le Pichon (born June 18, 1937) is a French geophysicist. Among many other contributions, he is known for his comprehensive model of plate tectonics (1968).
He is professor at the Collège de France.
Biography
Pr Le Pichon holds a doctorate in physics.
- 1963: He began his scientific career as a scientific assistant at Columbia University, New York, United States.
- In 1969, he became head of the marine geology department of the oceanologic center of Brittany in Brest, France.
- In 1978, he became professor at University Paris 6.
- In 1984, he was head of the geology department at the École Normale Supérieure.
- In 1986, he became a professor at the Collège de France.
Prizes and memberships of learned societies
- In 1973, he won the silver medal of CNRS.
- 1984: Maurice Ewing medal from the American Geophysical Union
- 1985: member of the French Academy of Sciences; made knight of the Legion of Honour
- 1990: Japan Prize; made officer of the National Order of Merit
- 1991: Wollaston Medal, Geological Society of London
- 1995: foreign associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences
- 2002: Balzan Prize