# Peter Merian

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Peter_Merian
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Peter_Merian.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Merian
> Source revision: 1234258047
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Infobox person
| name        = Peter Merian
| image       = Peter Merian.JPG
| alt         = Bust of Peter Merian at the Museum for Natural History in Basel.
| caption     = Bust of Peter Merian at the Museum for Natural History in Basel.
| other_names = 
| occupation  = Swiss geologist
| birth_date  = {{birth date|1795|12|20|df=yes}}
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1883|02|08|1795|12|20|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [Basel](/source/Basel), Switzerland
| death_place = Basel, Switzerland
}}

'''Peter Merian-Thurneysen''' (20 December 1795 – 8 February 1883) was a Swiss [geologist](/source/geology) and [palaeontologist](/source/paleontology).

He studied sciences at the [University of Basel](/source/University_of_Basel), the [Academy of Geneva](/source/University_of_Geneva) and at the [University of Göttingen](/source/University_of_G%C3%B6ttingen) (1815–17), where he studied geology under [Johann Friedrich Ludwig Hausmann](/source/Johann_Friedrich_Ludwig_Hausmann). At Göttingen he became good friends with [Bernhard Studer](/source/Bernhard_Studer).<ref name=AD>[http://www.deutsche-biographie.de/sfz61943.html Merian, Peter] at Deutsche Biographie</ref> After obtaining his doctorate, he continued his education in [Paris](/source/Paris) up until 1819, and then returned to Basel and proceeded to conduct geological studies of the [Swiss Jura](/source/Swiss_Jura).<ref name=VI>[https://books.google.com/books?id=BLsCAAAAIAAJ&dq=%22Peter+Merian%22+Ammonites&pg=PA155 Google Books] Science, Volume 1</ref>

In 1820 he was named professor of [physics](/source/physics) and [chemistry](/source/chemistry) at Basel, and during the following year, became director of the [Natural History Museum](/source/Natural_History_Museum_of_Basel).<ref>[http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/d/D7175.php  Merian, Peter] in Historischen Lexikon der Schweiz</ref> From 1835 to 1861, he was an honorary professor of geology and palaeontology at Basel, where three times he served as [university rector](/source/rector_(academia)). In 1838 and 1856 he was president of the ''Schweizer Naturforschenden Gesellschaft''.<ref name=AD/>
[[File:Escher Merian Heer.jpg|right|thumb|From the right: [Arnold Escher von der Linth](/source/Arnold_Escher_von_der_Linth), Peter Merian and [Oswald Heer](/source/Oswald_Heer) ([daguerreotype](/source/daguerreotype)).]]
Known for his scientific investigations of [Jura Mountains](/source/Jura_Mountains), he also conducted extensive geological research of the [Black Forest](/source/Black_Forest), and performed comparison studies of the Germanic and Alpine [Triassic](/source/Triassic) stages.<ref name=AD/> During his career, he amassed an impressive collection of fossils, and is credited for developing a classification schema for [ammonites](/source/ammonites).<ref name=VI/> In addition, he made contributions in the fields of [meteorology](/source/meteorology) and [glaciology](/source/glaciology).

== Selected works ==
* ''Uebersicht der Beschaffenheit der Gebirgsbildungen in den Umgebungen von Basel : mit besonderer Hinsicht auf das Juragebirge im Allgemeinen'', 1821 – Overview on the formation of mountains in the environs of Basel with particular regard to the Jura Mountains in general.
* ''Uebersicht des Zustandes unserer Kenntniss der Naturkunde des Kantons Basel'', 1826 – Overview on the natural history of the [canton of Basel](/source/canton_of_Basel).
* ''Geognostische Uebersicht des südlichen Schwarzwaldes'', 1831 – [Geognostic](/source/Geognosy) survey of the southern Black Forest.
* ''Mittel und Hauptresultate aus den meteorologischen Beobachtungen in Basel von 1826 bis 1836'', 1838 – Means and main results of the meteorological observations in Basel from 1826 to 1836.
* ''Ueber die Theorie der Gletscher'', 1843 – On the theory of [glacier](/source/glacier)s.<ref>[http://www.sudoc.abes.fr//DB=2.1/SET=1/TTL=1/REL?PPN=148646085 Sudoc] published works</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merian, Peter}}
Category:1795 births
Category:1883 deaths
Category:19th-century Swiss geologists
Category:Swiss paleontologists
Category:Scientists from Basel-Stadt
Category:University of Göttingen alumni
Peter

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Peter Merian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Merian) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Merian?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.