Sigurdur Thorarinsson
| Sigurður Þórarinsson | |
|---|---|
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| Born | January 8, 1912 Vopnafjörður, Iceland |
| Died |
February 8, 1983 (aged 71) Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Residence |
 Iceland
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| Nationality |
Iceland
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| Fields | Geology, Volcanology, Glaciology |
| Institutions | University of Iceland, 1950–1983 |
| Alma mater |
University of Copenhagen, 1931–1932 , 1932-1944 |
| Known for | Pioneered the field of tephrochronology |
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Sigurður Þórarinsson (January 8, 1912 – February 8, 1983) was an Icelandic geologist, volcanologist, glaciologist, professor and lyricist. He is considered a pioneer in the field of tephrochronology, and he made significant contributions in many areas of geology, especially volcanology and glaciology, both in Iceland and abroad.
Sigurður Þórarinsson was born in Vopnafjörður in northeastern Iceland in 1912. He received his Ph.D. from in 1944 and began a long and distinguished academic career as professor of geography at the University of Iceland. According to his obituary in The Geographical Journal, "He was something of a polymath who contrived to take geology, geomorphology, glaciology, climatology, and archaeology in his stride."
He died suddenly of a heart attack in Reykjavík in 1983. Subsequently, the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) decided to name its highest award the Thorarinsson Medal in his honor. As usual outside Iceland, the name of the prize misunderstands Icelandic naming conventions, because Þórarinsson is a patronymic not a surname, and in Iceland he would have properly been referred to by his given first name, Sigurður.
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