Edward A. Irving

{{Short description|Canadian geologist (1927 – 2014)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Ted Irving | image = Edward_A._Irving.png | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1927|05|27}} | birth_place = Colne, Lancashire, England | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2014|02|25|1927|05|27}} | death_place = Saanich, British Columbia, Canada | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | citizenship = | nationality = | fields = Paleomagnetism | workplaces = Geological Survey of Canada, Pacific Geosciences Center | alma_mater = University of Cambridge (BA, MSc, DSc) | thesis_title = | thesis_url = | thesis_year = | doctoral_advisor = | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = Jim Briden | notable_students = | known_for = | awards = {{Plainlist| * CM * FRSC * FRS {{small|(1979)}}<ref name=frs/> * Wollaston Medal {{small|(2005)}}}}<ref>{{cite web|title=2005 Awards: Citations, Replies|url=https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/About/History/Awards-Citations-Replies-2001-Onwards/2005-Awards-Citations-Replies|website=History|publisher=The Geological Society|access-date=17 September 2015}}</ref> | signature =  | signature_alt = | website =  | footnotes = | spouse = Sheila (née Irwin) <ref name=Enkin>{{cite web|last1=Enkin|first1=Randy|title=Dr Edward Irving FRS: 1927-2014 (1952, Earth Sciences & Geology)|url=https://www.trinhall.cam.ac.uk/alumni/keeping-in-touch/obituaries/detail.asp?ItemID=2710|publisher=Trinity Hall Cambridge|access-date=17 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304190015/https://www.trinhall.cam.ac.uk/alumni/keeping-in-touch/obituaries/detail.asp?ItemID=2710|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> | children = Kate, Susan, Martin, George<ref name=Enkin/> }} '''Edward A. "Ted" Irving''', {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CM|FRSC|FRS}} (27 May 1927 – 25 February 2014) was a British-Canadian geologist. He was a scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada. His studies of paleomagnetism provided the first physical evidence of the theory of continental drift. His efforts contributed to our understanding of how mountain ranges, climate, and life have changed over the past millions of years.<ref name=frs>{{cite journal|last1=Hyndman|first1=Roy|title=Edward Irving FRSC CM. 27 May 1927 – 25 February 2014|journal=Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society|volume=61|year=2015|issn=0080-4606|doi=10.1098/rsbm.2015.0004|doi-access=free|pages=183–201|s2cid=53782835}}</ref><ref name=Davis>{{cite journal|last=Davis|first=T. H.|title=Inaugural Article: Biography of Edward Irving|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|date=8 February 2005|volume=102|issue=6|pages=1819–1820|doi=10.1073/pnas.0407301101 |pmid=15684059|bibcode = 2005PNAS..102.1819D |pmc=548532|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Education== Irving was born on 25 May 1925 and raised in Colne in the Pennine Hills of east Lancashire, England.<ref name=obit/> In 1945, he was conscripted into the British Army. Irving served in the Middle East infantry. In 1948, he began studying geology at the University of Cambridge and obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1951. He spent the next year at Cambridge as a research assistant with Keith Runcorn in the geology and geophysics department before entering the graduate program.<ref name=Davis/>

When Irving started his graduate studies, the history of the Earth's magnetic field was known for the few centuries since the first magnetic observatories had been established. With fellow students Kenneth Creer and Jan Hospers, he looked to extend this record back in time. Irving used a magnetometer,<ref name=blackett>{{cite journal|last1=Nye|first1=M. J.|title=PORTRAITS OF SCIENCE: 'The Most Versatile Physicist of His Generation'|journal=Science|volume=296|issue=5565|year=2002|pages=49–50|issn=0036-8075|doi=10.1126/science.1069837|pmid=11935005|doi-access=free}}</ref> recently designed by Patrick Blackett, to analyze the magnetic directions imparted to rocks by their iron minerals. He found large discrepancies between the directions of the present magnetic field direction and those recorded in Precambrian rock in the highlands of Scotland. He surmised the only explanation could be that Scotland had shifted relative to the geomagnetic pole. Irving also determined that India had moved northward by 6000 km and rotated by more than {{math|30°}}. These results confirmed the predictions Alfred Wegener had put forth in his theory of continental drift in 1912.<ref name=Davis/><ref name=LeGrand>{{cite book|last=LeGrand|first=H. E.|title=Drifting continents and shifting theories : the modern revolution in geology and scientific change|url=https://archive.org/details/driftingcontinen00legr|url-access=registration|year=1990|publisher=Cambridge Univ. Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=978-0-521-31105-2|edition=Reprinted }}</ref>{{rp|146–147}}

In 1954, Irving attempted to obtain a PhD for his graduate work. Unfortunately the field was so new that his doctoral examiners were not familiar enough with the subject matter to recognize his research achievements. They refused to give him the degree.<ref name=Merrill>{{cite book|last=Merrill|first=Ronald T.|title=Our magnetic Earth : the science of geomagnetism|year=2010|publisher=The University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago|isbn=978-0-226-52050-6}}</ref>{{rp|41–42}} Not having a PhD did not stop him from obtaining a position as a research fellow at the Australian National University in Canberra.

==Career== For the next ten years Irving studied Australia's ancient latitudes and published around 30 papers. He was able to demonstrate the continent's southward movement since the Permian period. In 1965, he submitted some of his papers to Cambridge and obtained a ScD, the highest earned degree at the time.<ref name=Davis/>

Irving met his wife Sheila while in Australia. She was a Canadian citizen. In 1964, they moved to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and Irving began work as a research officer for Dominion Observatory with the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys. In 1966, Irving returned to England to teach geophysics at the University of Leeds. He returned to Ottawa in 1967 to work as a research scientist in the Earth Physics Branch of the Department of Energy, Mines, and Resources. In 1981, Irving moved to Sidney, British Columbia, to establish a paleomagnetism laboratory at the Pacific Geoscience Centre with the Earth Physics Branch. The branch would later be incorporated into the Geological Survey of Canada. He mapped the movements of Vancouver Island and other parts of the Cordillera that have moved sideways and rotated relative to the Precambrian Canadian Shield.<ref name=Davis/>

In 2005, Irving was semi-retired, investigating the nature of the geomagnetic field in the Precambrian to understand how the crust was being deformed and how the latitudes varied. He and his wife Sheila had four children.<ref name=Davis/> He died during the night of 24 February 2014 in Saanich, British Columbia.<ref name=obit>{{cite news|title=Edward (Ted) Irving|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/timescolonist/obituary.aspx?pid=169897709|access-date=1 March 2014|newspaper=Times Colonist|date=2014-03-01}}</ref>

==Selected works== Irving published a total of 205 papers,<ref name=Opdyke/> including: *{{cite journal|last1=Irving|first1=E.|author-mask=1|title=Palaeomagnetic and palaeoclimatological aspects of polar wandering|journal=Geofisica Pura e Applicata|date=January 1956|volume=33|issue=1|pages=23–41|doi=10.1007/BF02629944|bibcode = 1956GeoPA..33...23I |s2cid=129781412}} *{{cite journal|last1=Irving|first1=E.|last2=Parry|first2=L. G.|author-mask=1|title=The Magnetism of some Permian Rocks from New South Wales|journal=Geophysical Journal International|date=May 1963|volume=7|issue=4|pages=395–411|doi=10.1111/j.1365-246X.1963.tb07084.x|bibcode = 1963GeoJ....7..395I |doi-access=free}} *{{cite journal|last1=Irving|first1=E.|author-mask=1|title=Drift of the major continental blocks since the Devonian|journal=Nature|date=24 November 1977|volume=270|issue=5635|pages=304–309|doi=10.1038/270304a0|bibcode = 1977Natur.270..304I |s2cid=4188381}} *{{cite journal|last1=Irving|first1=E.|author-mask=1|title=Paleopoles and paleolatitudes of North America and speculations about displaced terrains|journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences|date=March 1979|volume=16|issue=3|pages=669–694|doi=10.1139/e79-065|bibcode = 1979CaJES..16..669I }} *{{cite journal|last1=Irving|first1=E.|author-mask=1|last2=Irving|first2=G. A.|title=Apparent polar wander paths carboniferous through cenozoic and the assembly of Gondwana|journal=Geophysical Surveys|date=July 1982|volume=5|issue=2|pages=141–188|doi=10.1007/BF01453983|bibcode = 1982GeoSu...5..141I |s2cid=129721379}} *{{cite journal|last1=Irving|first1=E.|author-mask=1|last2=Woodsworth|first2=G. J.|last3=Wynne|first3=P. J.|last4=Morrison|first4=A.|title=Paleomagnetic evidence for displacement from the south of the Coast Plutonic Complex, British Columbia|journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences|date=1985|volume=22|issue=4|pages=584–598|doi=10.1139/e85-058|bibcode=1985CaJES..22..584I}} In addition, he published the first book on paleomagnetism:<ref name=Enkin/> *{{cite book|last1=Irving|first1=Edward|author-mask=1|title=Paleomagnetism and its application to geological and geophysical problems|url=https://archive.org/details/paleomagnetismit0000irvi|url-access=registration|date=1964|publisher=Wiley}}

==Honors and awards== Irving was awarded the Gondwanaland Gold Medal by the Mining, Geological, and Metallurgical Society of India,<ref name=Davis/> the Logan Medal by the Geological Association of Canada (1975),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gac.ca/awards/logan_medal_pastrecip.php |title=GAC National Medals & Awards: Logan Medal |publisher=Geological Association of Canada |access-date=13 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205211909/http://www.gac.ca/awards/logan_medal_pastrecip.php |archive-date=5 February 2012}}</ref> the Walter H. Bucher Medal by the American Geophysical Union (1979),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sites.agu.org/honors/winners/edward-irving/ |title=1979 Walter H. Bucher Medal Winner: Edward Irving |publisher=American Geophysical Union |access-date=13 March 2012}}</ref> the J. Tuzo Wilson Medal by the Canadian Geophysical Union (1984),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cgu-ugc.ca/medal/intro.html |title=J. Tuzo Wilson Medal |publisher=Canadian Geophysical Union |access-date=13 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229221939/http://www.cgu-ugc.ca/medal/intro.html |archive-date=29 February 2012}}</ref> the Arthur L. Day Medal by the Geological Society of America (1997),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.geosociety.org/awards/past.htm#day |title=Arthur L. Day Medal |website=Past Award & Medal Recipients |publisher=The Geological Society of America |access-date=13 March 2012}}</ref> and the Wollaston Medal by the Geological Society of London (2005).<ref name=Opdyke>{{cite journal|last1=Opdyke|first1=Neil Donald|title=Ted Irving (1927-2014)|journal=Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union|date=27 May 2014|volume=95|issue=21|pages=175|doi=10.1002/2014EO210003|bibcode = 2014EOSTr..95..175O |doi-access=free}}</ref> He was made a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) in 1973 and of the Royal Society of London (FRS) in 1979.<ref name=frs/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://royalsociety.org/about-us/fellowship/fellows/ |title=Fellows |publisher=The Royal Society |access-date=13 March 2012}}</ref> In 1998 he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences and in 2003 invited to be a Member of the Order of Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nas.nasonline.org/site/Dir/376411862?pg=vprof&mbr=1003463&returl=http%3A%2F%2Fnas.nasonline.org%2Fsite%2FDir%2F376411862%3Fpg%3Dsrch%26view%3Dbasic&retmk=search_again_link |title=Irving, Edward |website=National Academy of Sciences|access-date=13 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=7399&t=12&ln=Irving|title=Order of Canada: Edward (Ted) Irving, C.M., Sc.D., D.Sc. (Hon.), F.R.S |website=It's an Honour |publisher=The Governor General of Canada |access-date=13 March 2012}}</ref><ref name=Yorath>{{cite journal |last=Yorath |first=Chris |title=Ted Irving Awarded OofC |journal=Geolog |volume=32 |number=1 |page=1 |year=2003 |url=http://www.gac.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Geolog32-1.pdf |access-date=13 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085929/http://www.gac.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Geolog32-1.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He received an honorary degree from the University of Victoria in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ring.uvic.ca/99june1/honorary.html |title=Convocation '99: Honorary degree recipients |website=The Ring |publisher=University of Victoria |access-date=13 March 2012}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== {{Refbegin}} *{{cite web|last1=Briden|first1=Jim|title=Edward Irving 1927 - 2014|url=https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/About/History/Obituaries-2001-onwards/Obituaries-2014/Edward-Irving-1927-2014|website=History|publisher=The Geological Society|access-date=17 September 2015}} *{{cite book|last=Frankel|first=Henry R.|title=The continental drift controversy: Paleomagnetism and Confirmation of Drift|date=2012|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=9780521875059|edition=1. publ.}} *{{cite book|last1=Glen|first1=William|title=The Road to Jaramillo: Critical Years of the Revolution in Earth Science|publisher=Stanford University Press|year=1982|isbn=978-0-8047-1119-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/roadtojaramilloc00glen}} *{{cite web|last1=McMillan|first1=Bill|title=HCP has lost a valued member, Edward (Ted) Irving (1927-2014)|url=http://hcp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IRVING%20obituary.pdf|publisher=Horticulture Center of the Pacific|access-date=17 September 2015}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} *{{cite news|last1=Spears|first1=Tom|title=Edward "Ted" Irving, 1927-2014|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|publisher=Postmedia Network|date=21 March 2014|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/edward-ted-irving-1927-2014|access-date=17 September 2015}} {{Refend}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irving, Edward A.}} Category:1927 births Category:2014 deaths Category:Military personnel from Lancashire Category:20th-century British Army personnel Category:British geophysicists Category:British geologists Category:Canadian geologists Category:Canadian geophysicists Category:Geological Survey of Canada personnel Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge Category:Wilson Medal recipients Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada Category:Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences Category:Members of the Order of Canada Category:British Army soldiers Category:People from Colne Category:Logan Medal recipients Category:Wollaston Medal winners Category:Canadian fellows of the Royal Society Category:British fellows of the Royal Society