James C. Briden

James C. Briden
Alma materUniversity of Oxford (BA), Australian National University (PhD, 1964)
AwardsMurchison Medal (1984)
Scientific career
FieldsPaleomagnetism, geology
InstitutionsUniversity of Rhodesia
University of Leeds
University of Oxford
ThesisPalaeolatitudes and palaeomagnetic studies, with special reference to pre-Carboniferous rocks in Australia (1964)
Doctoral advisorTed Irving

James Christopher Briden is a British geophysicist, known for his work on paleoclimate and paleomagnetism. He was awarded the Murchison Medal of the Geological Society of London in 1984.

Education

At school, Briden read Arthur Holmes’ principles of physical geology, and became interested in the intersection of geology and physics. Briden was an undergraduate in Oxford. Following a lecture by Patrick Blackett on paleomagnetism and continental drift, Briden was inspired to undertake a PhD in paleomagnetism at the Australian National University to work with Ted Irving. This worked involved the documentation of 'polar wander paths' for the continents of Gondwaland, through the analysis of their ancient magnetic signatures.[1] He completed his PhD thesis on paleolatitudes and paleomagnetic studies in 1964.[2]

Career

From Australia, Briden moved to Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, where he became interested in the geological structure and history of Africa. From there, Briden went to the University of Leeds, which had a strong African geology research group led by Robert Shackleton.[1] Briden continued his paleomagnetic work, extending deeper in time to the Proterozoic, and leading to the idea that there had been another ancient supercontinent at that time. He wrote papers on the intensity of paleomag field through time, [3] and on plate movement and continental magmatism in Africa.[4] He also began to use paleomagnetic techniques in younger rocks to look at the cooling, uplift and erosion histories of the Caledonian mountains.[1]

Briden was appointed professor of geophysics in Leeds in 1975,[5] and was awarded the Murchison Medal in 1984 in recognition of his work on paleomagnetism.[1]

Later career

In 1986, Briden was appointed to the new position of director of Earth Sciences for the UK research funding agency, NERC.[6] In this role, he was a member of the board of the British Geological Survey from 1989 to 1994. In 1996, he was appointed director of the Environmental Change Institute, Oxford,[7] and contributed to contemporary discussions around climate change.[8][9] Briden was professor of environmental studies in Oxford and fellow of Linacre College from 1997 until his retirement in 2003.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Watson, J.V. (1985). "Proceedings, 30 May 1984. Annual General Meeting". Journal of the Geological Society, London. 142: 214–215.
  2. ^ Briden, J.C. (1964). "Palaeolatitudes and palaeomagnetic studies, with special reference to pre-Carboniferous rocks in Australia".
  3. ^ Briden, J. C. (October 11, 1966). "Variation of Intensity of the Palaeomagnetic Field Through Geological Time". Nature. 212 (5059): 246–247. Bibcode:1966Natur.212..246B. doi:10.1038/212246a0 – via www.nature.com.
  4. ^ Briden, J. C.; Gass, I. G. (April 11, 1974). "Plate movement and continental magmatism". Nature. 248 (5450): 650–653. Bibcode:1974Natur.248..650B. doi:10.1038/248650a0 – via www.nature.com.
  5. ^ "Announcements". Nature. 254 (5500): 543. April 11, 1975. Bibcode:1975Natur.254Q.543.. doi:10.1038/254543a0 – via www.nature.com.
  6. ^ Allen, P. M. (2003). A geological survey in transition (PDF). British Geological Survey Occasional Publication. Vol. 1. ISBN 0-85272-426-8.
  7. ^ "Supplementary catalogue of the papers and correspondence of Sir Richard Southwood (1931-2005)" (PDF). p. 30 – via National Cataloguing Unit for the Archives of Contemporary Scientists, University of Bath.
  8. ^ Briden, J.C.; Downing, T.E. (2002). Managing the earth : the Linacre lectures 2001. Oxford University Press. pp. 1–188. ISBN 019925267X.
  9. ^ Briden, Professor Jim (November 15, 2000). "What will the world be like in five years' time?". The Guardian.
  10. ^ "Professors Emeritus" (PDF). Oxford University Gazette. 2018.