Jürgen Henning Illies (14 March 1924 – 2 August 1982) was a German geologist, an expert in taphrogenesis (

rift In geology, a rift is a linear zone where the lithosphere is being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics. Typical rift features are a central linear downfaulted depression, called a graben, or more commonly a half-grabe ...

formation). Apart from his work on rifts, including the

Rhine Rift Valley The Upper Rhine Plain, Rhine Rift Valley or Upper Rhine Graben (German: ''Oberrheinische Tiefebene'', ''Oberrheinisches Tiefland'' or ''Oberrheingraben'', French: ''Vallée du Rhin'') is a major rift, about and on average , between Basel in the so ...

, he is known for his contributions to Chilean geology. Illies was active at the Austral University of Chile in Valdivia where he mapped the geology of the Old Valdivia Province in 1956–1957. After the mapping was done he studied more specific geologic problems in Chile the years of 1958–59. Illies is currently regarded as a "

founding father The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...

" of the geology department of the Austral University of Chile. From 1973 onwards he was a member of the

German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (german: Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina – Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften), short Leopoldina, is the national academy of Germany, and is located in Halle (Saale). Founded ...

Notable publications

* 1960. Geologie der Gegend von Valdivia/Chile. ''Neues Jahrbuch fur Geologie u. Palaontlogie'', Abhandlungen Bd. 111, S. 30–110. Stuttgart. * 1981. Mechanism of graben formation. ''

Tectonophysics Tectonophysics, a branch of geophysics, is the study of the physical processes that underlie tectonic deformation. The field encompasses the spatial patterns of stress, strain, and differing rheologies in the lithosphere and asthenosphere of th ...

'', 73(1), 249-266.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Illies, Henning Austral University of Chile faculty 20th-century German geologists Tectonicists University of Hamburg alumni Hans-Stille-Medaille winners 1924 births 1982 deaths German expatriates in Chile 20th-century Chilean geologists