Ferdinand Zirkel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ferdinand Zirkel
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| Born | 20 May 1838 |
| Died | 11 June 1912 (aged 74) |
| Resting place | Alter Friedhof, Bonn, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Alma mater | University of Bonn |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | geology |
| Institutions | University of Leipzig |
| Influences | Henry Clifton Sorby |
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Ferdinand Zirkel (born May 20, 1838, died June 11, 1912) was a famous German geologist. Geologists study the Earth, including its rocks and minerals. Zirkel was also a petrographer, which means he specialized in studying rocks using a microscope.
Life and Work
Ferdinand Zirkel was born in Bonn, a city in Germany. He studied at the University of Bonn and earned his PhD degree in 1861. At first, he was interested in mining.
In 1860, Zirkel traveled to Iceland with a friend named William Thierry Preyer. They wrote a book about their trip in 1862.
After finishing his studies, Zirkel started teaching geology and mineralogy in Vienna. His trips to Iceland, the Faeroe Islands, Scotland, and England changed his focus. He also met Henry Clifton Sorby, a scientist who studied rocks with microscopes. This meeting made Zirkel very interested in a new science called microscopical petrography. This field uses microscopes to look closely at rocks.
Zirkel became a professor of geology in 1863 at the University of Lemberg. Later, in 1868, he moved to the University of Kiel. In 1870, he became a professor of mineralogy and geology at the University of Leipzig.
He traveled a lot for his studies. He visited France, Italy, and Scotland. In 1874, he came to the United States to study large collections of minerals. These minerals were gathered during explorations of the 40th degree of latitude. From 1894 to 1895, he did scientific research in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and India.
Ferdinand Zirkel retired in 1909. He received many honors for his work. He was an honorary doctor from Oxford University. He was also a foreign member of the Royal Society and an honorary member of the Mineralogical Society.
Things Named After Him
- Mount Zirkel in Colorado, United States, is a mountain named in his honor.
- The mineral zirkelite is named after him.
- Dorsum Zirkel on the Moon is a ridge named after him.
