* Homage to Professor Maurice Mattauer *
** Holding the latest scientific advice that he wanted to give on the
earthquake of Aquila in Italy, to appear in the "Gazette de Montpellier", 9
April of this year, Professor Maurice Mattauer died accidentally at his home
April 8 2009.
Born in 1928 in Sentheim (Alsace), he makes his higher education in
Besançon, he joined the CNRS in 1951, to conduct a thesis in Ouarsenis
Algérien, then it will work for the service of the Card. He returned to
France, appointed Professor at the University of Montpellier in 1959 where
he became the leader of the team of Structural Geology. It will remain at
his post as leader of Geology montpelliéraine until 1996, then Professor
Emeritus of the University of Montpellier 2 until 2003. It will continue
until the last few days, to come to the meeting of young researchers and
former students to give its advice and criticism.
Motivated and dynamic teacher, he brought his passion for geology, rocks and
fossils, to generations of students, who followed his footsteps and then
raised his voice and his methods in other universities.
His books and numerous publications in the direction of specialists in the
discipline "Tectonics" or the general public to share his love of the
mountains and rocks all have a huge national and international success.
The mountains were his passion, and has published numerous works in
"écumant " first outcrops around Montpellier, discovering in himself, with
his legendary flair, fossils largest in the region such as dinosaur eggs
from the Upper Cretaceous. It will launch here the foundations of the modern
tectonic mapping is special for students awarded by Montpellier. It shows
the importance of observing the microstructures in the understanding of
mountain ranges.
After the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Massif Central where he will propose
the first coherent tectonic models, he embarked on the visit of the
mountains of South America and Asia, in cooperation with the Andean
countries and China. He will also visit the Mountains of North America, but
also the Mediterranean for which he published in 2008, the last scientific
article, full of new ideas and always served by the quality of its graphics
innate.
All persons who have approached Maurice Mattauer and all students have
recognized him quickly an outstanding scientist and passionate living for
his Science.
It forms part of this, these few men, leading others by communicating their
passion to advance or to excel. It was, ultimately, a chance to have met!
During his career Maurice Mattauer has received numerous awards and honors,
especially the prices of Geological Societies of France and Belgium and the
Academy of Sciences.
He was also promoted to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor.
Pr. Maurice Brunel, Montpellier
* His funeral have been held in Grammont-Montpellier on Tuesday 14 April *
Prof. Maurice BRUNEL
Directeur Maison des Ecoles Doctorales
de l'Académie de Montpellier
Géosciences Montpellier CC60
Place E. Bataillon 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05
tel 04 67 14 36 47 /06 82 42 33 28
|