Xavier Le Pichon (born 18 June 1937 in Qui Nhơn, French protectorate of Annam (later South Vietnam and today Vietnam)) is a French geophysicist.^[1] Among many other contributions, he is known for his comprehensive model of plate tectonics (1968), helping create the field of plate tectonics. In 1968 he combined the kinematic ideas of W. J. Morgan, D. McKenzie and R. L. Parker with the large data sets collected by Lamont, and especially with the respective magnetic profiles, to show that Plate Tectonics could accurately describe the evolution of the major ocean basins. He is professor at the Collège de France, holder of the Chair of Geodynamics (1986–2008).^[1] He is a lifelong devout Catholic, and has come to think of caring attention to others' weakness as an essential quality that allowed humanity to evolve.^[2] He lives with his wife and has five children and eleven grandchildren.

Biography

Le Pichon holds a doctorate in physics. Professional career:^[1]

• 1963: He began his scientific career as a scientific assistant at Columbia University, New York, United States.
• In 1969, he became head of the marine geology department of the oceanologic center of Brittany in Brest, France.
• In 1978, he became professor at Université P. et M. Curie (University of Paris VI).
• In 1984, he was head of the geology department at the École Normale Supérieure.
• In 1986, he became a professor at the Collège de France.

Prizes and memberships of learned societies

• In 1973, he won the CNRS Silver Medal.
• 1984: Maurice Ewing Medal from the American Geophysical Union
• 1985: member of the French Academy of Sciences; made knight of the Legion of Honour
• 1990: Japan Prize;^[3] made officer of the National Order of Merit
• 1991: Wollaston Medal, Geological Society of London^[4]
• 1995: foreign associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences
• 2002: Balzan Prize^[5]

Works

• Riffaud, Claude; Le Pichon, Xavier (1976). Expédition 'Famous' à 3000 m sous l'Atlantique. Paris: Albin Michel.
• Le Pichon, Xavier (1986). kaiko voyage aux extremites de la mer. Le Seuil: Odile Jacob. ISBN 978-2738113238.
• Yijie, Tang; Le Pichon, Xavier (1999). La mort. Paris: Desclée de Brouwer. ISBN 978-2220044026.
• Le Pichon, Xavier; Francheteau, Jean; Bonnin, Jean (2013). Plate Tectonics (revised ed.). Elsevier. ISBN 9781483257273.