| Authorised form of name | Vine; Frederick John; geologist and geophysicist |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Chiswick, Middlesex, England |
| Date of birth | 17 June 1939 |
| Place of death | Norwich, Norfolk, England |
| Date of death | 21 June 2024 |
| Occupation | Geologist and geophysicist |
| Research field | Geophysics |
| Geology |
| Activity | Education:
Latymer Upper School, King Street, London; St John's College, Cambridge University BA 1962; PhD 1965
Career:
Faculty member at Princeton University (1965–70); reader (1970) and Professor of environmental science (1974), University of East Anglia; Dean of Environmental Science, University of East Anglia (1977-80) and (1993-98); Emeritus Professor (2008).
Awards/Medals:
Arthur L. Day Medal (1968)
Bigsby Medal (1971)
Chapman Medal (1973)
Appleton Medal and Prize (1977)
Balzan Prize (1981)
Prestwich Medal (2007) |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 21/03/1974 |
| Age at election | 34 |
| RSActivity | Royal Society roles:
Council: 1991-1993
Sectional Committee 5: Earth & environmental sciences 1998-2001
Medals and prizes:
Hughes Medal 1982 |
| Relationships | Parents: Ivy (née Bryant) and Frederick Sr, accountant.
Spouse: Susan Vine (née McCall).
Children: Rachel and Stephen. |
| PublishedWorks | RCN R71445
RCN 15120 |
| OtherInfo | Best known for his work on the magnetic lineations observed at sea.
Authored a number of papers (some alone, some with other authors) in which these are explained as a “tape recording” of the reversals of the Earth's magnetic field on the moving floor of the ocean. This work has had a decisive influence on the wide acceptance of the ideas of sea floor spreading and continental drift.
Examined the rocks of the Troodos mountains in Cyprus, and showed, following the work of Ian Gass and others, that these rocks are a specimen of an ancient sea floor showing the mantle overlain by gabbros, dykes, pillow lavas and deep-sea sediments. |
| Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
| Source | The Royal Society Fellows Directory, Professor Frederick John Vine FRS [URL:https://royalsociety.org/people/frederick-vine-12462/; last accessed: 12/02/2025]
University of East Anglia, Fred Vine Profile [URL: https://archive.ph/20131205231601/http://www.uea.ac.uk/environmental-sciences/people/People/Honorary+Staff/vinef; last accessed: 12/02/2025]
The Guardian, Neil Chroston, 7 August 2024, Frederick Vine Obituary [URL: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/aug/07/frederick-vine-obituary; last accessed: 12/02/2025] |
| Code | NA3246 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| EC/1974/30 | Vine, Frederick John: certificate of election to the Royal Society | |
| WF/595 | Grant application from the University of East Anglia to the Wolfson Foundation | 1974-1981 |