John Murray | |
|---|---|
 Murray,c. 1899–1902 | |
| Born | (1841-03-03)3 March 1841 |
| Died | 16 March 1914(1914-03-16) (aged 73) Kirkliston, Midlothian, Scotland |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5[1] |
| Awards | Makdougall-Brisbane Prize(1884–86) Neill Prize(1877–80) Cullum Geographical Medal(1899) Clarke Medal(1900) Vega Medal(1912) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Oceanography Limnology |
| Institutions | Challenger Expedition Commission (1872) Director of the Challenger Expedition Commission (1882) Established marine laboratories at Granton and Millport |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | J.Murray |
| Signature | |
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| Notes | |
President of theRoyal Scottish Geographical Society (1898–1904) President of the Scottish Natural History Society Member of theScottish Meteorological Society | |
Sir John MurrayKCB FRS FRSE FRSGS (3 March 1841 – 16 March 1914) was a pioneering Canadian-born Britishoceanographer,marine biologist andlimnologist. He is considered to be the father of modern oceanography.[2][3]
Murray was born on 3 March 1841, atCobourg,Canada West (nowOntario). He was the second son of Robert Murray, an accountant, and Elizabeth Macfarlane. His parents hademigrated from Scotland to Ontario in about 1834. He went to school inLondon, Ontario and later to Cobourg College. In 1858, at the age of 17 he moved to Stirling to live with his grandfather, John Macfarlane, and continue his education atStirling High School. In 1864, he enrolled atUniversity of Edinburgh to study medicine however he did not complete his studies and did not graduate.[4]
In 1868, he joined the whaling ship,Jan Mayen, as ship's surgeon and visitedSpitsbergen andJan Mayen Island. During the seven-month trip, he collected marine specimens and recorded ocean currents, ice movements and the weather.
On his return toEdinburgh he re-entered the University to complete his studies (1868–72) in geology under SirArchibald Geikie.
In 1872, Murray assisted in preparing scientific apparatus for theChallenger Expedition under the direction of the expedition's chief scientist,Charles Wyville Thomson. When a position on the expedition became available Murray joined the crew as a naturalist. During the four-year voyage, he assisted in the research of the oceans including collecting marine samples, making and noting observations, and making improvements to marine instrumentation. After the expedition, Murray was appointed Chief Assistant at the Challenger offices in Edinburgh where he managed and organised the collection. After Thomson's death in 1882, Murray became Director of the office and in 1896 publishedThe Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of HMS Challenger, a work of more than 50 volumes of reports.[4]
Murray renamed his house, on Boswall Road in northern Edinburgh,Challenger Lodge in recognition of the expedition.[5] The building now houses St Columba's Hospice.
In 1884,[6] Murray set up the Marine Laboratory atGranton, Edinburgh, the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. In 1894, this laboratory was moved toMillport, Isle of Cumbrae, on theFirth of Clyde, and became theUniversity Marine Biological Station, Millport, the forerunner of today'sScottish Association for Marine Science atDunstaffnage, nearOban,Argyll and Bute.[citation needed]
After completing the Challenger Expedition reports, Murray began work surveying the freshwaterlochs of Scotland. He was assisted byFrederick Pullar and over a period of three years, they surveyed 15 lochs together. In 1901, Pullar drowned as a result of an ice-skating accident which caused Murray to consider abandoning the survey work. However, Pullar's father, Laurence Pullar, persuaded him to continue and gave £10,000 towards the completion of the survey. Murray coordinated a team of nearly 50 people who took more than 60,000 individual depth soundings and recorded other physical characteristics of the 562 lochs. The resulting 6 volumeBathymetrical Survey of the Fresh-Water Lochs of Scotland was published in 1910.[7][8] The cartographerJohn George Bartholomew, who strove to advance geographical and scientific understanding through his cartographic work, drafted and published all the maps of the Survey.
In 1909, Murray indicated to theInternational Council for the Exploration of the Sea that an oceanographic survey of the North Atlantic should be undertaken. After Murray agreed to pay all expenses, the Norwegian Government lent him the research shipMichael Sars and its scientific crew. He was joined on board by the Norwegian marine biologistJohan Hjort and the ship departedPlymouth in April 1910 for a four-month expedition to take physical and biological observations at all depths between Europe and North America. Murray and Hjort published their findings inThe Depths of the Ocean in 1912 and it became a classic for marine naturalists and oceanographers.[9][10]
He was the first to note the existence of theMid-Atlantic Ridge and ofoceanic trenches. He also noted the presence of deposits derived from theSaharan desert in deep oceansediments and published many papers on his findings.[citation needed]
Other awards included the Cuvier Prize and Medal from theInstitut de France and the Humboldt Medal of theGesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin.[17]
He was president of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society from 1898 to 1904.
In 1911, Murray founded theAlexander Agassiz Medal which is awarded by theNational Academy of Sciences, in memory of his friendAlexander Agassiz (1835–1910).
After his death his estate funded the John Murray Travelling Studentship Fund[4][18] and the 1933John Murray ''Mabahiss'' Expedition to the Indian Ocean.[4][19]
Murray lived at Challenger Lodge (renamed after his expedition) on Boswall Road inTrinity, Edinburgh, with commanding views over theFirth of Forth.[20] This house is now theSt Columba's Hospice, apalliative care facility.[21]
Murray was killed when his car overturned 10 miles (16 km) west of his home on 16 March 1914 atKirkliston nearEdinburgh. He is buried inDean Cemetery inEdinburgh on the central path of the north section in the original cemetery.[citation needed]
TheJohn Murray Laboratories at the University of Edinburgh,[3] theJohn Murray Society at theUniversity of Newcastle and theScottish Environment Protection Agencyresearch vessel, the S.V.Sir John Murray,[22] and theMurray Glacier are named after him.
Animals named in his honor include the entireMurrayonida order ofsea sponges.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link).Volume 1;Volume 2;Volume 3;Volume 4;Volume 5;Volume 6.
Works by or aboutJohn Murray atWikisource
| Awards | ||
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| Preceded by | Clarke Medal 1900 | Succeeded by |
