Marcel Alexandre Bertrand

Marcel Alexandre Bertrand
Marcel Alexandre Bertrand
Born	2 July 1847
Died	13 February 1907(1907-02-14)(aged 59)
Nationality	French
Alma mater	École Polytechnique
Known for	orogeny
Scientific career
Fields	geology

Marcel Alexandre Bertrand(2 July 1847 – 13 February 1907) was a Frenchgeologistborn inParis.He was the son ofmathematicianJoseph Louis François Bertrand(1822–1900), and son-in-law tophysicistÉleuthère Mascart(1837-1908).

He studied at theÉcole Polytechnique,and beginning in 1869 he attended theEcole des Mines de Paris.From 1877 he carried out geological mapping studies ofProvence,theJura Mountainsand theAlps.In 1886, he became an instructor at theÉcole Nationale Supérieure des Mines,and in 1896 became a member of theAcadémie des sciences.

Bertrand, a founder of moderntectonics,originated anorogenic"wave theory" of mountain-building and introducedthenappehypothesis (nappe de charriage). His wave theory described a build-up of massive folds of earth taking place over successive geological eras, called theCaledonian,HercynianandAlpineperiods of orogeny. Bertrand later added a fourth event called theHuronian orogeny,which took place 2400 to 2100 million years ago, inPrecambriantime.

In 1890 he was named president of theSociété géologique de France. TheConcours de Géologietwice awarded him thePrix Vaillant(1886 and 1890); he also won thePrix Fontannes(of the Société géologique de France) in 1888 and thePrix Petit d'Ormoyin 1893.

Personal life

He was married to Mathilde Mascart and their daughter,Thérèse Bertrand-Fontaine(1895 – 1987), became a physician and researcher. She was only the third woman to be named a full member of the National Academy of Medicine.

Selected works

• Études dans les Alpes françaises. structure en éventail, massifs amygdaloïdes et métamorphisme1894 – Studies of theFrench Alps.
• Sur la structure du mont Joly près de Saint-Gervais (Haute-Savoie),1896 – On the Mount Joly structure nearSaint-Gervais (Haute-Savoie).
• Les chaînes septentrionales des Alpes bernoises,1899 – The northern chain of theBernese Alps.
• La grande nappe de recouvrement de la Basse-Provence,1899 – The large nappe layer of LowerProvence.
• Mémoire sur les refoulements qui ont plissé l’écorce terrestre et sur le rôle des déplacements horizontaux,1908.
• Œuvres géologiques de Marcel Bertrand(withEmmanuel de Margerie;3 volumes, 1927–31) – Geological works of Marcel Bertrand.

References

• This article is based on a translation of an equivalent article at theFrench Wikipedia,source listed asArchive Annales des Mines
• Encyclopædia Britannica India(Marcel Bertrand)