Louis Cordier
| Louis Cordier | |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 March 1777 Abbeville |
| Died | 30 March 1861 (aged 83) |
| Nationality | France |
| Occupation |
geologist mineralogist |
| Employer | Muséum national d'histoire naturelle |
Pierre Louis Antoine Cordier (31 March 1777 – 30 March 1861) was a French geologist and mineralogist, and a founder of the French Geological Society. He was professor of geology at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris from 1819 to 1861, and was responsible for the development of the geological gallery in the museum.
Cordier was born in Abbeville in 1777 to a family of English origin. In 1817 he married Cécile Borgella, a niece and pupil of Louis Ramond de Carbonnières. Together they had four sons and six daughters.
Cordier entered the École des mines in 1794 and followed the well-known courses of Louis Nicolas Vauquelin (1763–1829), René Just Haüy (1743–1822) and Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu (1750–1801).
He gained his "diplôme d’ingénieur" in 1797 and followed Dolomieu first on an expedition to the Alps, then as a scientist on Napoleon's expedition to Egypt from 1798 to 1799. Arriving in Alexandria, Cordier immediately began his researches into the country's mineralogy and geology, with particular focus on the formation of the Nile valley. On Dolomieu's taking ill, both of them attempted to return to France. Although Cordier was taken prisoner in Taranto, subsequently being transferred to Messina in Sicily, he was freed after three months in captivity as a result of Dolmieu's intervention and returned to France. In 1802 he published Mémoire sur le mercure argental, and in 1808 Description du dichtoïte, which revealed his deep interest in mineralogy. Cordier rose to the position of "ingénieur en chef" in 1809 and in 1816 he published his account of basalt: Sur les substances minérales dites en masse, qui servent de base aux roches volcaniques.
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