Name Hans Pettersson Books The ocean floor | Awards Patron's Gold Medal | |
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Born 26 August 1888
Forshalla, Gothenburg and Bohus County ( 1888-08-26 ) Notable awards Fellow of the Royal Society (1956)
Member of Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Died January 25, 1966, Gothenburg, Sweden Alma mater Institute for Radium Research, Vienna | ||
Hans Petterson, born 26 August 1888 in Forshälla, Gothenburg and Bohus County, died 25 January 1966 in Gothenburg was a Swedish physicist and oceanographer. He was the son of chemist Otto Pettersson (1848-1941).
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Education
Hans Pettersson studied atomic physics at the Institute for Radium Research, Vienna.
Career
Petterson's first publication from 1910 was on the issue of radium. He later brought this knowledge to the field of oceanography, and with the help of radium he could determine the age of sediment samples from the bottom of the sea. Pettersson became the first full professor of oceanography in Sweden and in 1938 founded the Institute of Oceanography in Gothenburg, thanks to funding from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. Pettersson was its head until 1956. He also was the head of the Bornö Hydrographic Field Station on Stora Bornö.
Petterson also wrote many popular scientific texts which helped disseminate progress in oceanography to the general audience. In July 1947, the Albatross expedition started its around the world voyage with Pettersson as leader of the expedition. This expedition was planned by him, and was financed by private sponsors.