Vladimir Wiese | |
|---|---|
 Wiese c. 1930 | |
| Born | Vladimir Yulyevich Wiese (1886-03-05)5 March 1886[1] Tsarskoe Selo, Russia[1] |
| Died | 19 February 1954(1954-02-19) (aged 67)[1] |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Alma mater | Saint Petersburg University University of Göttingen[2] |
| Known for | Wiese Island |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Saint Petersburg University |
Vladimir Yulyevich Wiese (Russian:Владимир Юльевич Визе; 5 March 1886 – 19 February 1954) was a Russian scientistof German descent who devoted his life to the study of the Arcticice pack. His name is associated with theScientific Prediction of Ice Conditions theory. Wiese was a member of theSoviet Arctic Institute and an authority on polaroceanography. He was also the founder of the Geographico-hydrological School of Oceanography.
Wiese was born to German immigrants to Saint Petersburg, Julius Friedrich Franz Wiese and Lydia Karoline Amalie Gertrud Blass.[3] He graduated from theSaint Petersburg University and theUniversity of Göttingen.[2]
In 1912–14 Wiese went withGeorgy Sedov’s expedition on the shipSt. Foka toNovaya Zemlya andFranz Josef Land. After theRussian Revolution Wiese took part in a number ofSoviet Arctic expeditions.
In 1924 Wiese studied the drift ofGeorgy Brusilov's ill-fated Russian shipSt. Anna when she was trapped on the pack ice of theKara Sea. He detected an odd deviation of the path of the ship's drift caused by certain variations of the patterns of sea and ice currents. He concluded that the deviation was caused by the presence of an undiscovered island, whose coordinates he could accurately calculate thanks to the availability of the successive positions of theSt. Anna during its drift. The island was later named after Wiese.[4]
Finally the island was discovered on 13 August 1930 by a Soviet expedition led byOtto Schmidt aboard theicebreakerSedov underCaptain Vladimir Voronin. The island was namedWiese Island, who was at the time aboard theSedov.
In July 1931 Wiese led an expedition on icebreaking steamerMalygin to Franz Josef Land and the northern part of theKara Sea. He carried out meteorological, electromagnetic and hydrological observations during this expedition. During this expedition GermanairshipGraf Zeppelin made a rendezvous with icebreakerMalygin at Bukhta Tikhaya inHooker Island,Franz Josef Land.
AtRudolf Island Wiese recovered artifacts from the abandoned huts of the 1904–1905Ziegler Polar Expedition to Franz Josef Land. His intention was to carry out deep-sea oceanographic research in the Arctic basin, but due to fog and bad weather he reluctantly gave up and the expedition headed south. He had also hoped to carry out oceanographic research in the then little-explored northern part of theKara Sea, but the ice concentrations became progressively heavier until it was decided to turn back. In this Arctic expedition Wiese's scientific zeal was tempered by Captain Chertkhov's prudent decisions. Even so, the expedition was quite successful. Surface water temperatures were taken at 295 locations, water samples were taken from 273 stations, and meteorological observations were duly taken every four hours.
Earlier in 1929 Wiese proposed setting up a drifting polar observatory near the North Pole. His proposal was accepted only in 1935, resulting in theNorth Pole-1 expedition.[5] Wiese took part in its preparation, but could not participate due to declining health. He went into his final expedition in 1937, onicebreakerSadko. Its goal was to sail toHenrietta,Zhokhov andJeannette Islands, in theDe Long group and carry out scientific research. The purpose of the expedition was also to find out how could the Northern Sea Route be used for regular shipping. But the Soviet naval authorities changed the plans and the ice-breaker was sent instead to help ships in distress in theKara andLaptev Seas.Sadko itself became trapped in fast ice at 75°17'N and 132°28'E nearNew Siberian Islands. Two other Soviet icebreakers that researched the ice condition in the same area,Sedov andMalygin, also became trapped by sea ice and drifted helplessly. Owing to persistent bad weather conditions, part of the stranded crew members and some of the scientists could only be rescued in April 1938. On 28 August 1938,icebreakerYermak freed two of the three ships at 83°4'N and 138°22'E. The third ship,Sedov, would remain in the ice to begin an 812-day drift during which the one remaining junior scientist supervised hundreds of astronomical, electromagnetic and depth measurements before they were finally freed betweenGreenland andSvalbard by the icebreakerJoseph Stalin on 18 January 1940. The crew and scientists were welcomed back in the Soviet Union as heroes.
Wife - Olga Wiese (nee Balabina) (1902-1983). Vladimir Yulievich had two daughters, Olga and Tatyana. The descendants of Vladimir Yulievich live in Germany, as well as in Estonia, in the city of Narva.
In 1933 Wiese was elected as a corresponding member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences.[1] He was awarded twoOrders of Lenin and aStalin Prize (1946).[2] Several geographical objects in the Soviet Arctic bear his name, including theWiese Island.[4]
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