LUGEON

SWITZERLAND (see also List of Individuals)

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10.7.1870 Poissy/F - 23.10.1953 Lausanne/CH

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Maurice Lugeon lived all through his life from 1876 onwards in Lausanne. He studied geology at the University in Lausanne until 1893 and then was a collaborator of the French geologist Michel-Lévy, who mapped the region around Lake Geneva. In 1895, Lugeon submitted his PhD thesis to Lausanne University and there was appointed associate professor in 1897, and professor of geology in 1906. Lugeon served as rector of Lausanne University in the term 1918 to 1920, and presided over the Helvetic Society of Natural Sciences from 1923 to 1928. He was a recipient of the 1938 Wollaston Medal from the Geological Society, London, and a Foreign Member of the Royal Society from 1944.

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Lugeon's scientific work includes three main branches, namely tectonics, physical geography and practical geology. His 1901 work may be counted to the master texts in tectonics, where the geological structure of the Alps is described and previous assumptions on the origin of these formations largely removed. In physical geography, Lugeon was particularly interested in the erosive action of water courses. He thus investigated questions relating to hydraulic sources, to morphology of river beds and to river regimes. In parallel he was interested in the origin and the development of glaciers, of which the Alps have a number of still large ice formations. His third issue of interest were mainly dams related to geological questions. After having been a consultant for various dams to be erected in his home country, he became an international expert in problems related to the optimum site of a dam in terms of dam type, material availability and dam stability. His 1933 book was one of the very first works in this field and made Lugeon not only famous as a geologist, but also as an applied researcher in dam engineering. He was awarded Prix Benoît for this work.

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_{Badoux, H. (1953). Maurice Lugeon. Verhandlungen Schweizerische Naturforschende Gesellschaft 133: 327-341, with bibliography. P}

_{Bailey, E.B. (1954). Maurice Lugeon. Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society 9: 165-}

_{173. P}

_{Bidlot, X. (1949). Médaille Gustave Trasenster. Revue Universelle des Mines 92(4): 113-114. P}

_{Lugeon, M. (1901). Les grandes nappes de recouvrement des Alpes du Chablais et de la Suisse. Bulletin Société Géologique France, Série 4 1: 723-825.}

_{Lugeon, M. (1933). Barrages et géologie: Méthodes de recherches terrassement et imperméa- bilisation. Rouge: Lausanne.}