Xavier Le Pichon

Xavier Le Pichon (born June 18, 1937) is a French geophysicist. Among many other contributions, he is known for his comprehensive model of plate tectonics (1968).

He is professor at the Collège de France.

Biography

Pr Le Pichon holds a doctorate in physics.
* 1963: He began his scientific career as a scientific assistant at Columbia University, New York, United States.
* In 1969, he became head of the marine geology department of the oceanologic center of Brittany in Brest, France.
* In 1978, he became professor at University Paris 6.
* In 1984, he was head of the geology department at the École Normale Supérieure.
* In 1986, he became a professor at the Collège de France.

Prizes and memberships of learned societies

* In 1973, he won the silver medal of CNRS.
* 1984: Maurice Ewing medal from the American Geophysical Union
* 1985: member of the French Academy of Sciences; made knight of the Legion of Honour
* 1990: Japan Prize; made officer of the National Order of Merit
* 1991: Wollaston Medal, Geological Society of London
* 1995: foreign associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences
* 2002: Balzan Prize