Jonas Ekman Fjeldstad (November 22, 1894 – February 20, 1985) was a prize-winning Norwegian oceanographer and mathematician. Fjeldstad was born in

Røyken Røyken is a district and village (''bygd'') and a former municipality in Buskerud in Viken County, Norway. In 2020 Røyken was merged with the municipalities of Hurum and Asker to form the new Asker Municipality (informally called "Greater Asker ...

. He received his ''

candidatus realium Candidatus realium or candidata realium (abbreviated cand. real.) is a former academic degree used in Norway, and conferred in mathematics and natural sciences. It was abolished in 1985. There was originally no set duration for the completion of th ...

'' degree at the Royal Frederick University and became an assistant professor of geophysics in 1922 at the University Museum of Bergen. It was Fjeldstad that correctly assumed the existence of the

Lomonosov Ridge The Lomonosov Ridge (russian: Хребет Ломоносова, da, Lomonosovryggen) is an unusual underwater ridge of continental crust in the Arctic Ocean. It spans between the New Siberian Islands over the central part of the ocean to Elle ...

, which divides the Arctic Ocean into two large ocean basins. To determine this, he used wave data collected by Harald Sverdrup. Fjeldstad continued studying waves for his doctoral degree in 1930, and he developed a general theory of how the ocean's internal waves behave (published as ''Interne Wellen'', Internal Waves, 1933). In 1939 he became a lecturer at the University of Oslo, and he was a professor from 1947 to 1964. He died in Oslo.

Awards and honors

* Member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, inducted in 1938 * Head of the

Norwegian Astronomical Society Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

(1942–1943), the

Norwegian Geophysical Society Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

(1946–1950), the

Norwegian Mathematical Society The Norwegian Mathematical Society ( no, Norsk matematisk forening, NMF) is a professional society for mathematicians. It was formed in 1918, with Carl Størmer elected as its first president. It organizes mathematical contests and the annual Abe ...

(1946–1951), and the National Geodesics and Geophysics Committee * The Bergen Prize (''Bergenske prisbelønning''), 1935 * The

Fridtjof Nansen Prize for Outstanding Research The Fridtjof Nansen Prize for Outstanding Research ( no, Fridtjof Nansens belønning for fremragende forskning) is a Norwegian research award. It is conferred by the Nansen Trust and its associated trusts, and it was established in 1896 after the r ...

, 1945 * The Fram Committee Nansen Award, 1962 * Knight 1st Class of the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II ...

, 1965

Family

Jonas Fjeldstad was the son of Johan Fjeldstad (1861–1947) and Emma Christine Ekman (1855–1936). In 1924 he married Ellen Totland (1897–1973).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fjeldstad, Jonas 1894 births 1985 deaths Norwegian oceanographers Academic staff of the University of Bergen Academic staff of the University of Oslo Order of Saint Olav Members of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters People from Røyken Presidents of the Norwegian Mathematical Society