FICHOT

FRANCE (see also List of Individuals)

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18.1.1867 Le Creusot/F - 17.7.1939 Tabanac/F

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Eugène Fichot graduated from Ecole Polytechnique in 1886 to become a hydrographical engineer within the French navy. From 1890 to 1900 he accompanied missions to the French islands in South-Eastern Africa and in 1905 he was appointed director of the hydrographic mission in French Indochina. After having returned to France Fichot took over as director the hydrographic observations along the Atlantic coast. In 1921 he was appointed Lecturer at Ecole Polytechnique and General Hydrographical Engineer in 1924. He was then for the next eight years director of the marine hydrographical service. Fichot was a Member and president of Association d'Océanographie Physique and Comité National de Géodésie et Géophysique. He was awarded membership of the Marine Academy, and Officer of the Dragon of Annam in Indochina. Also, he was a Grand-Officer of Légion d'Honneur. He was elected in 1925 Member of Académie des Sciences, in the Section of Geography and Navigation.

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During Fichot's visit to Madagascar he investigated the meteorological particularities of that large island. Later, during his stay at the Island of La Réunion, he was interested in its hydrographic features which were described not amenable with standard procedures. In 1912 Fichot pointed to the dangers of navigation in the estuary of Gironde River due to shoal. He presented exact sea maps such that no accidents occurred. The main theoretical work of Fichot is his 1923 book, in which the various methods to use tidal energy are outlined. Fichot was not only a researcher but was also able to explain complicated processes to the public.

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_{Anonymous (1939). Fichot. Bulletin de la Société Astronomique de France 53: 440-442. P Anonymous (1999). Fichot, Lazare Eugène. Le second siècle de l'Institut de France 1895-1995 1: 499-500. Institut de France: Paris.}

_{Cot, D. (1943). La vie et l'œuvre de Eugène Fichot, Ingénieur hydrographe général de la marine. Annuaire, Bureau des Longitudes B: 1-33. Gauthier-Villars: Paris. P}

_{Fichot, E. (1916). Marées océaniques et marées internes. Encyclopédie des sciences mathématiques pures et appliquées 6(8): Géodésie. Gauthier-Villars: Paris.}

_{Fichot, E. (1923). Les marées et leur utilisation industrielle. Gauthier-Villars: Paris.}

_{Fichot, E. (1938). Exposé critique de la théorie des marées. Annales Bureau des Longitudes 11. Poincaré, H., Fichot, E. (1910). Théorie des marées. Gauthier-Villars: Paris.}

_{St. Le Tourneur, B.F. (1971). Fichot, Lazare-Eugène. Dictionnaire de biographie française 13: 1285, R. d'Amat ed. Letouzey: Paris.}