# August Rothpletz

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**Friedrich August Rothpletz** (28 April 1853 in [Neustadt an der Haardt](/source/Neustadt_an_der_Weinstra%C3%9Fe) – 27 January 1918 in [Oberstdorf](/source/Oberstdorf)) was a German [geologist](/source/Geologist) and [paleontologist](/source/Paleontologist).

## Biography

From 1875 to 1880, Rothpletz conducted geological mapping in [Saxony](/source/Kingdom_of_Saxony) as part of the *Sächsischen Geologischen Landesanstalt* (Saxon Geological Survey),[1] afterwards receiving his doctorate from [Leipzig University](/source/Leipzig_University) (1882). Two years later, he obtained his habilitation at the [Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München](/source/Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit%C3%A4t_M%C3%BCnchen), where he taught classes in geology, Alpine [tectonics](/source/Tectonics) and [paleobotany](/source/Paleobotany).[2] In 1894 he became an associate professor and in 1904 succeeded [Karl von Zittel](/source/Karl_von_Zittel) as professor of geology and paleontology at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.[3] From 1904 to 1918, he was director of the *Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie* (Bavarian Geological-Paleontological State Collections).[4]

He performed research on a wide array of subjects, that included studies on the structure of [calcareous](/source/Calcareous) [algae](/source/Algae) and the [folding of rocks](/source/Folding_(geology)) in mountain ranges. He was particularly interested in geological problems associated with the [Alps](/source/Alps), publishing two important works as a result, *Geotektonische Probleme* (1894) and *Geologische Alpenforschungen* (1900–08). He also studied [marine geological formations](/source/Marine_geology) of the [Canary Islands](/source/Canary_Islands),[3] publishing the treatise *Die marinen Ablagerungen auf Gran Canaria* (1890), in collaboration with [Victor Simonelli](/source/Vittorio_Simonelli).[5]

He was a foreign correspondent of the [Geological Society of London](/source/Geological_Society_of_London) (from 1894), becoming a foreign member in 1903.[3] In 1948 the [calcimicrobe](/source/Calcimicrobe) genus *[Rothpletzella](/source/Rothpletzella)* was named in his honor.[4][6]

## Selected works

- *Das Karwendelgebirge*, 1888 – The [Karwendel](/source/Karwendel) Mountains.
- *Ein geologischer Querschnitt durch die Ost-Alpen*, 1894 – A geological cross section of the eastern Alps.
- *Geotektonische Probleme*, 1894 – [Geotectonic](/source/Geotectonic) problems.
- *Das Geotektonische Problem Der Glarner Alpen*, 1898 – The geotectonic problem of the [Glarus Alps](/source/Glarus_Alps)
- *Geologische Alpenforschungen* (Geological Alpine investigations): - I. *Das Grenzgebiet zwischen den Ost- und West-Alpen und die rhaetische Ueberschiebung*. 1900 – The border between the Eastern and Western Alps and the [Rhaetian](/source/Rhaetian_Alps) overthrusting. - II. *Ausdehnung und Herkunft der rhaetischen Schubmasse*. 1905 – Origin and expansion of the Rhaetian thrust mass. - III. *Die Nord- ind Süd-Ueberschiebungen in den Freiburger Alpen*. 1908 – The north and south overthrusts in the [Fribourg Alps](/source/Fribourg_Alps).[7]

## References

1. Iddings, Joseph Paxson (2015). [*Recollections of a Petrologist*](https://books.google.com/books?id=65j5CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA84). Geological Society of America. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-8137-2512-3.

1. "Statement based on translated text from an equivalent article at the [German Wikipedia](/source/German_Wikipedia)".

1. Lockyer, Sir Norman (1918). ["Notes"](https://books.google.com/books?id=bEs-AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA109) (obituary). *Nature*. **101** (2528): 109–110. Macmillan Journals Limited. [Bibcode:1918Natur.101..109.](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1918Natur.101..109.). [doi:10.1038/101109a0](https://doi.org/10.1038/101109a0). [S2CID 211054570](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:211054570)

1. Stafleu, Frans A. & Cowan, Richard S. (1983). [*Taxonomic literature : a selective guide to botanical publications and collections with dates, commentaries and types*](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/pageitem/33190398#page/941/mode/1up). Vol. 4. 2nd ed. Utrecht: Bohn, Scheltema & Holkema. pp. 927–928. [doi:10.5962/bhl.title.48631](https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.48631). ISBN 978-90-313-0224-6.

1. [Die marinen Ablagerungen auf Gran Canaria](http://www.kanarischefibel.eu/quellen/rothpletz-simonelli.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20140502111636/http://www.kanarischefibel.eu/quellen/rothpletz-simonelli.html) 2 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine Kanarische Literatur. Deutsche Entdeckungen

1. Flügel, Erik (2013). [*Microfacies of Carbonate Rocks: Analysis, Interpretation and Application*](https://books.google.com/books?id=X_7uCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA410). Springer Science & Business Media. p. 410. ISBN 978-3-662-08726-8.

1. ["August Rothpletz – Wikisource"](https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/August_Rothpletz) (in German). *de.wikisource.org*. Retrieved 15 January 2023.

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