Jökull - 01.12.1982, Page 4

noes, archeology, changes in vegetation cover, stu-
dies of soil erosion, periglacial phenomena and
glacier fluctuations. He first applied this dating
technique in studies of Icelandic bogs in 1934 and
in the co-Nordic archeological investigations of
Thjórsárdalur in 1939. In 1944 he obtained his
fil.dr. from the University of Stockholm for his
classical work „Tephrochronological studies in
Iceland, Thjórsárdalur and its destruction”. Now,
after almost fifty years of tephrochronological
research he has recorded in detail the history of
eruptions in Grímsvötn, Katla and Oræfajökull in
historical times and in Hekla for the last 6000
years.
But this is still far from being a complete
description of Sigurdur’s contributions to science.
He has written important papers on physical
geography and geomorphology, periglacial phe-
nomena, plant-bearing interglacial sediments,
earthquakes and geological problems in connec-
tion with the development of hydroelectric power,
as well as on population changes in Iceland since
the time of settlement. He has been a pioneer in
nature conservation in Iceland, debated day by
day issues in the newspapers (such as whether the
City Hall and a jet fountain should be placed in
the lake in the Reykjavík city centre) and attacked
various superstitions which continuously seem to
break out among his fellow countrymen. He has
written a great number of literary reviews and
even assessed the artistic value of Icelandic films.
He has translated Bellman’s songs and “epistles”
and written songs which have reached the ”top
ten“ on the Reykjavík Radio.
Sigurdur is a sharp researcher of Nature and
endowed with a rare intuition of its processes. He
has contributed basic information on many topics
in geoscience upon which future work has to be
built. His main contributions are classical, his
output of work astonishing and his versatility and
artistic abilities those of a genius.
Sigurdur settled in Iceland in 1945 at the end of
the Second World War and worked for two years
as a geologist for the National Research Council
and the Institute of Industrial Research. In 1947
he became the Head of the Geography and Geol-
ogy Department of the Museum of Natural His-
tory. He held this post until 1968 when he became
a Professor of Geology at the University of Iceland
when a Chair in geosciences was established at the
Department of Engineering and Science. Further,
he was elected the Head of the Geoscience Section
of the Science Institute of the University of
Iceland.
Several organizations, societies and committees
have benefitted from Sigurdur’s capabilities. He
was the Chairman of the Iceland Science Fund
from 1958 to 1978, the first Chairman of the
Geoscience Society of Iceland 1966—68, on the
Board of the Iceland Tourist Society 1957 — 77,
President of the Icelandic Natural History Society
1950—51 and editor of Náttúrufrædingurinn 1950,
1952—55. He has been on the Board of the Nordic
Council’s Advising Commission for Science since
1972, on the Board of the Nordic House in Reyk-
javík since 1970, Chairman of the Iceland Gla-
ciological Society since 1969 and editor of Jökull
since 1957, on the Board of The Icelandic Council
of Nature Conservation since 1956. He has orga-
nized and guided the annual Nordic Geology
Excursions to Iceland since 1964.
Sigurdur was elected a Fellow of the Icelandic
Science Society in 1946, the Geological Society of
London in 1954, Det Kongelige Danske Videns-
kabernes Selskab in 1957, Deutsche Akademie der
Naturforscher Leopoldina 1961, Kungliga Vit-
terhetssamhállet in Göteborg 1968, Kungliga
Fysiografiska Sállskapet in Lund 1969, Det Norske
Videnskaps Akademi in Oslo 1971, Kungliga
Vetenskapsakademien, Stockholm 1971, Suomi-
lainen tideakatemia, Helsinki 1975, The Explor-
ers’ Club, New York 1978. He was elected Honor-
ary Member of the Iceland Student Organization
in Stockholm in 1951, Det Norske Geografiske
Selskap 1961, Sydesvenska Geografiska Sállskapet
1967, Geological Society of America 1973, The
International Glaciological Society 1973 and the
Iceland Tourist Society 1977.
He was awarded a Doctor Honoris Causa by the
University of Iceland in 1961, received the Spen-
diaroíf Prize on the 21 st International Geological
Congress in 1960, the Black Prize of the Royal
Geographical Society in 1967, the Vega Medal in
1970, the Asa-Wright Prize in 1970, the Vitus
Bering Prize in 1976.
The 1982 and 1983 volumes of Jökull are pre-
sented in recognition of Sigurdur Thorarinsson’s
great achievements for Geosciences. The issues
contain 30 papers written by colleagues whom he
has inspired and assisted in their work in Iceland.
However, these issues should also be regarded as a
tribute to Sigurdur Thorarinsson from all his
friends and colleagues in Iceland and abroad.
Hílgi Björnsson
2 JÖKULL 32. ÁR