George Deacon facts for kids
Sir George Edward Raven Deacon was a very important British scientist. He was an oceanographer, which means he studied the ocean. He also studied chemistry. He is famous for his work exploring the deep seas and understanding how oceans work. He was born in 1906 and lived until 1984.
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Discovering the Ocean's Secrets
George Deacon was born in Leicester, England, in 1906. He went to school in Leicester and then studied chemistry at King's College London. He was a very good student and earned a top degree in 1926.
Early Ocean Adventures
After college, he taught chemistry and math for a short time. But his big adventure began in 1927. He was asked to join the Discovery Antarctic survey as a chemist. This was a scientific trip to the Antarctic Ocean. He sailed on a ship called the RRS William Scoresby. Later, he moved to a bigger ship, the Discovery II.
During these trips, George Deacon studied the ocean in amazing detail. He looked at how water moved, both across the surface and deep down. He helped map different areas of the Southern Ocean. This work was very important for understanding where tiny ocean life (called plankton) and other sea animals live. He also discovered that most of the deep ocean water around the world comes from the Weddell Sea in the Antarctic. For all this important work, he earned a special science degree in 1937.
Important Recognition and War Work
In 1944, George Deacon became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK. It showed how important his ocean research was.
During the Second World War, he used his science skills to help. He worked on ways to find and stop enemy submarines. This work was done for the British Navy. Later, he studied ocean waves at the Admiralty Research Laboratory.
Leading Ocean Science
In 1949, George Deacon became the first Director of a brand new place. It was called the National Institute of Oceanography in the UK. This institute was created to study the oceans. It later became part of a bigger research group.
He received more honors for his work. In 1957, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He was also given the CBE award in 1964. In 1977, he was made a knight, which means he was called "Sir George Deacon."
Sir George retired in 1971. He passed away in 1984 at his home in Surrey.
Family Life
George Deacon married Elsa Jeffries in 1940. She passed away in 1966.
