Keith Runcorn

Infobox Scientist
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birth_date = November 19, 1922
birth_place = Southport, Lancashire
death_date = December 5, 1995
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nationality = United Kingdom
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field = palaeomagnetism
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Stanley Keith Runcorn (November 19, 1922 - December 5, 1995) was born in Southport, Lancashire and graduated in engineering at Cambridge in 1942.

After a period in radar research during the World War II, he joined the Physics Department at Manchester University where he did research on aspects of the Earth’s magnetic field. This led to his interest in palaeomagnetism, the study of the magnetism of rocks, which he pursued first at the Geophysics Department in Cambridge and later at Newcastle, where he was appointed to the chair of Physics in 1956. At Newcastle Runcorn developed a strong research group in geophysics, and made substantial contributions to various fields, including convection in the Earth and Moon, the shape and magnetic fields of the Moon and planets, magnetohydrodynamics of the Earth’s core, changes in the length of the day, polar wandering, continental drift and plate tectonics.

Runcorn received many honours, including Fellowship of the Royal Society in 1965, the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, and the Fleming medal of the American Geophysical Union. He was also a member of the Pontifical Academy of Science. After his retirement in 1988 he continued to be active in various lines of research until his untimely death in San Diego in 1995.

Publications

*"Physics and chemistry of the Earth" (1956), edited by L.H. Ahrens, K. Rankama, S.K. Runcorn
*"Methods and techniques in geophysics" (1966) ed.
*"Continental drift" (1962), S.K. Runcorn.
*"International dictionary of geophysics : seismology, geomagnetism, aeronomy, oceanography, geodesy, gravity, marine geophysics, meteorology, the earth as a planet and its evolution" (1967), ed.
*"Mantles of the earth and terrestrial planets" (1967) NATO Advanced Study Institute, ed.
*"Methods in palaeomagnetism: Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Palaeomagnetic Methods" (1967), edited by D.W. Collinson, K.M. Creer, S.K. Runcorn
*"Palaeogeophysics", (1970) NATO Advanced Study Institute, ed.
*"Earth Sciences" (1971), S.K. Runcorn
*"Implications of continental drift to the earth sciences" (1973) NATO Advanced Study Institute, D.H. Tarling and S.K. Runcorn
*"Mechanisms of continental drift and plate tectonics" (1980) edited by P. A. Davies and S. K. Runcorn
*"Magnetism, planetary rotation, and convection in the solar system : retrospect and prospect : in honour of Prof. S.K. Runcorn" (1985) edited by W. O'Reilly, S. K. Runcorn
*"The Physics of the planets : their origin, evolution, and structure" (1987) ed.

External links

* [http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/vetlesen/recipients/1970/runcorn_bio.html Biography - Columbia]
* [http://www.phys.ncl.ac.uk/about/history/runcorn.htm Biography - Newcastle]