Liverpool is the hometown of many talented individuals, all of whom have brought renown to our city through their work. Today, we’re going to talk about one of our own—Ernest Oxburgh. He is a renowned English geologist, geophysicist, and public figure, known for his work on reducing carbon dioxide emissions and developing alternative energy sources. Read more about the scientist’s life and work at liverpoolname.com.
Childhood and Education
The future geophysicist was born in Liverpool in 1934. His childhood coincided with the Second World War, and the Oxburgh family did not leave the city, even during the Blitz. From 1942 to 1950, Ernest was educated at the Liverpool Institute High School for Boys. He later graduated from University College, Oxford, and also studied at Princeton University. It was at Princeton that Oxburgh worked on the new theory of plate tectonics alongside the famous geologist Harry Hess.
Career Highlights
His career began in academia. Ernest taught geology and geophysics at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. His academic career developed rapidly. At Cambridge, Oxburgh held the post of Professor of Mineralogy and Petrology, and also served as Head of the Department of Earth Sciences.
From 1988 to 1993, he was the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Defence. He then served for seven years as the Rector of Imperial College London.
Between 2004 and 2005, Oxburgh was the non-executive chairman of Shell. However, despite leading a company involved in fossil fuel extraction, he was deeply concerned about climate change and consistently advocated for new energy sources.
The scientist held many senior positions. He was appointed deputy chairman of the Science and Engineering Research Council. He was also a member of Singapore’s International Academic Advisory Panel and the University Grants Committee. Furthermore, he served as chairman of Falck Renewables, honorary president of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, chairman of D1 Oils, plc (a biodiesel producer), and a director of GLOBE International.
Personal Life
While still a student, Oxburgh married his wife, Ursula. The couple were married in a college chapel. They went on to have three children.
In his personal time, the renowned geophysicist enjoys the outdoors and participates in running marathons.
Great British Geophysicists
Ernest Ronald Oxburgh is not the only famous geophysicist from Great Britain. Other Britons known for their scientific work and discoveries include:
- Johann von Lamont, born in Braemar. His scientific work covered astronomy, geodesy, meteorology, and geophysics. He observed the satellites of Saturn and Uranus and determined their orbits. He also conducted extensive observations of Halley’s Comet during its 1835 appearance and described the solar eclipses of 1842 and 1860.
- Frederick John Vine, born in London. This famous English marine geologist and geophysicist made a key contribution to the theory of plate tectonics.
- Edmond Halley, born near London. He is one of the world’s most famous astronomers and geophysicists. He developed a method for calculating cometary orbits and discovered the periodicity of certain comets. Halley was also a pioneer in geophysical research and was the first to map magnetic declination.
- Harold Jeffreys, born in Fatfield. This geophysicist’s scientific work was dedicated to studying the motion, structure, and development of the Earth.
These are just some of the distinguished scientists and geophysicists who have worked and advanced their fields in Great Britain. We hope you found this article informative and have drawn your own conclusions.