Arnold Escher von der Linth
Arnold Escher von der Linth ( born June 8, 1807 in Zurich, † July 12, 1872 ibid; until 1823 only: Arnold Escher) was a Swiss geologist.
Life
Arnold Escher grew up in Zurich as the only son of the Swiss State Council and geologist Hans Konrad Escher. After his father's death in 1823 the Zurich cantonal government to give in whose honor him and his male descendants of the honorary name Escher von der Linth decided - it was coined for this event is a Swiss commemorative coin.
Arnold Escher studied from 1825 to 1829 at various universities, including at the Federal Central Military School Thun, the Universities of Geneva ( 1825-1827 ) and Berlin ( from 1827 to 1828, Mineralogy of Gustav Rose) and embarked on a subsequent study tour of Germany, Austria and northern Italy. Another study trip led him 1830-1832 together with the Berlin geologist Friedrich Hoffmann by Italy to Sicily.
On March 15, 1834, he habilitated for lecturer and in 1852 professor at the University of Zurich. 1856-1872 he was a professor ( full professor ) of Geology at the newly created Federal Polytechnic of Zurich ( ETH Zurich today, as a dual professorship ).
Escher married in 1857 Maria Barbara Ursula von Latour ( 1807-1863 ), the sister of his fellow student, the school board and county judge Alois de Latour ( 1815-1875 ). Arnold Escher died on 7 December 1872 and is located on the private cemetery Hohe Promenade in Zurich buried.
Services
Arnold Escher created a wide range of geological detailed maps of the Swiss Alps and is with Bernhard Studer and Peter Merian (1795-1883) as the forefather of the Swiss Alps geology. With his friend and closest collaborator Bernhard Studer, he published the first geological map of Switzerland. Escher first described the cover gravels of the Albis chain, calling him conglomerate rock. Escher recognized in 1841 the mechanical deformation of the rocks and the Faltenbau the mountains, and thus laid the foundation for understanding the alpine Überschiebungstektonik and ultimately plate tectonics. Together with his colleague, the paleontologist and botanist, he led Oswald Heer of 1855-1870 Excursions in the Alps, the great popularity among the students enjoyed.
In addition to his teaching and research activities, he worked as a geotechnical consultant for cantonal authorities and the Confederation: the Swiss Central Relief Committee (1868 ), SGG and Central Comité (1834 ). The Escher forest at Morissen (Canton Graubünden, Switzerland ) goes back to a foundation Arnold Escher to 1874.
Arnold Escher was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Zurich and was elected member of the Academy of Sciences in Munich and the Geological Society of London.
He mounted the first Lauteraarhorn 8 August 1842.
The three peaks at the origin of the Lower was named Escher horn after him.
The Linth -Escher Foundation is named after Arnold's father, Hans Conrad.
Works
- Explanation of the views of some contact ratios between crystalline feldspar rocks and lime in the Bernese Oberland country (1839 ), Neuchâtel, 14 pp.
- Geological Description of Central Grisons (1839, with B. Studer ). New memoranda of the Swiss Nature Research Society; George, Basel, 218 pp. (online)
- Geological remarks on the northern Vorarlberg and some adjacent areas (1853 ). Zurich, 135 pp.
- Geological overview map of Switzerland 1:760 000: Reduction of the larger geolog. Map of Switzerland by B. Studer and A. Escher (1855, with B. Studer ). Publisher d topo. Institute v. J. Wurster & Randegger jr., Winterthur.
- Geological map of Zurich and the surrounding area of 1:10 000, 1871. Naturalist Society Zurich, Verlag topogr d. Institute v. J. Wurster & Randegger jr., Winterthur.
- Geological map of the Sentis 1:25 000 (1873 ). Publisher d topo. Institute v. J. Wurster & Randegger jr., Winterthur.
- Geological description of the Sentis Group: Text for Special map of the Sentis ( 1878). Contributions to the geological map of Switzerland 13; In Commission at J. Dalp, Bern, 260 pp.
- Digitised works Arnold Escher von der Linth in e-rara.ch
Many of his insights are obtained in the form of his diaries.