| Authorised form of name | Shackleton; Sir; Nicholas John (1937 - 2006) |
| Dates | 1937 - 2006 |
| Nationality | British |
| Date of birth | 23/06/1937 |
| Date of death | 24/01/2006 |
| Occupation | Geologist. 'An international scientist of high renown who fundamentally changed our understanding of how Earth processes work'. |
| Research field | Paleoclimatology |
| Paleooceanography |
| Activity | Education:
Cranbrook School, Kent; Clare College, Cambridge (studied Geology, graduated, 1961); PhD, 1967, 'The Measurement of Palaeotemperatures in the Quarternary Era'
Career:
In 1960's developed techniques required for high resolution isotope statigraphy, which were used to obtain the first high resolution isotope records showing the history of ice sheet fluctuations during the Qaternary, demonstrating for the first time the Earth's orbit was governing the timing of major climate changes. Participated in drilling on the Ceara Rise in the west equatorial Atlantic Ocean as co-chief scientist of Ocean Drilling Programme Leg 154, an outstandingly successful drillling leg providing material for investigating climate and ocean circulation over the past 40 million years. Also participated in Leg 171, which drilled the sediments of the Blake Nose formation off Florida. This expedition recovered superb Eocene sequences and a particularly spectacular K/T boundary section. Director of Godwin Institute of Quaternary Research (1995-2004), and was third and final director of the Subdepartment of Quaternary Research until 1994. Elected President of INQUA in 1999 and stepped down at the Reno INQUA Congress (2003). Continued to work at Godwin Laboratory, Cambridge after his retirement from GIQR in 2004.
Senior Assistant in Research, Cambridge University (1965-1972); assistant director of research, sub-department of Quarternary research, Cambridge University (1972-1988); director of research, sub-department of Quarternary research, Cambridge University (1988-1995); director, Goodwin Institute of Quarternary Research, Cambridge University (1995-2004)
Foreign Member of the United States Academy of Science; Fellow of the American Geophysical Union;
Awards:
Royal Swedish Academy Crafoort Prize (1995) - considered the equivalent of a Nobel Proze for geologists; the Wollaston medal (1996), the Milankovitch medal (1999) and Vetlesen Prize, Columbia University and Vetlesen Foundation (2004); Blue Planet prize, Asahi Glass Foundation, Tokyo (2005)
Honours:
KB 1998 in recognition of his services to Earth Sciences. |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 21/03/1985 |
| Age at election | 47 |
| RSActivity | Medals and prizes:
Royal Medal 2003 |
| PublishedWorks | 'Variations in the Earth's Orbit: Pacemaker of the Ice Ages' article with J D Hays and John Imbrie in 'Science', 10 December 1976, Volume 194, Number 4270, pages 1121-1132 (the classic article).
'Carbon isotope date in core V19-30 confirm reduced carbon dioxide concentration in the ice age atmosphere' article with M A Hall, J Line and Carl Shuxi in 'Nature' Volume 306, November 1983, pages 319- 323
'The 100,000-Year Ice-Age Cycle Identified and Found to Lage Temperature, Carbon Dioxide, and Orbital Eccentricity' article in 'Science' Volume 289, 15 September 2000, pages 1897-1902
'Climate Change Across the Hemispheres' article in 'Science', Volume 291, 5 January 2001 pages 58-59 |
| Source | Sources:
Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society Vol 57, 2011 pp 435- 462, plate, by Ian Nicholas McCave and Henry Elderfield FRS
Obituary: 'The Times' (31 January 2006)
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| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/54242569 |
| Code | NA4790 |