- Walter C. Pitman, III
Walter Clarkson Pitman, III is a
geophysicist and aprofessor emeritus atColumbia University .Early life
Pitman was born in Newark, New Jersey on 21 October, 1931 [http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/vetlesen/recipients/2000/pitman_bio.html] . He received a Bachelor of Science in
Electrical Engineering in1956 fromLehigh University and went to work forHazeltine Corporation from 1956 to1960 [http://www.agu.org/inside/awards/bios/pitman_walterciii.html] .Earth Science Career
After becoming interested in oceanography during his time at Hazeltine, Pitman left the company and went to Columbia to pursue a career in the sciences. He worked as a technician for the
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory research fleet [http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/fac/oma/history/index.html] for one year before returning to earn a Ph.D. in geophysics.His thesis work led to the publication in "
Science " in1966 of "Magnetic Anomalies over the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge" withJim Heirtzler , the paper that showed the symmetry of the magnetic anomalies of the famous "Eltanin" 19 profile along thePacific-Antarctic Ridge . This paper confirmed theMorley-Vine-Matthews seafloor-spreading hypothesis and caused the unification of the geological world around the Theory of Plate Tectonics.Since this time, Pitman has been at the forefront of several topics related to
geology ,geophysics , and plate tectonics. Recently, he published a much-discussed book with William Ryan, "Noah's Flood", which claimed that theBlack Sea had once been half its current size before being flooded when the connection to theMediterranean Sea was formed. This flood destroyed an ancient civilization and fundamentally altered the region's ecosystem.Publications
cite book
last = Ryan
first = William
coauthors = Walter Pitman
title = Noah's Flood: The New Scientific Discoveries About The Event That Changed History
publisher =Simon & Schuster
date = 1997
isbn = 978-0684859200ources
cite web
title = The Vetlesen Prize
publisher = Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
date = 2004-07-09
url = http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/vetlesen/recipients/2000/pitman_bio.html
accessdate = 2007-01-23cite web
title = Pitman Receives Ewing Medal
publisher =American Geophysical Union
date = 2005-09-22
url = http://www.agu.org/inside/awards/bios/pitman_walterciii.html
accessdate = 2007-01-23Persondata
NAME=Pitman, Walter Clarkson
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Walter Pitman
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Geophysicist
DATE OF BIRTH=1931-10-21
PLACE OF BIRTH=Newark, NJ
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=
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