J. Tuzo Wilson

John Tuzo Wilson fundamentally advanced the theory of plate tectonics in the 1960s by introducing the concept of transform faults. He also proposed the existence of mantle hotspots to explain volcanic island chains like the Hawaiian Islands.

The Wilson Cycle, named after J. Tuzo Wilson, describes the cyclical opening and closing of ocean basins over hundreds of millions of years. It explains how continents rift apart, form new oceans, and eventually collide again to create mountain ranges.

In 1963, Wilson proposed the "hotspot" theory to explain age-progressive volcanic chains like Hawaii. He suggested that the tectonic plate moves over a stationary, abnormally hot region in the mantle, creating a chain of volcanoes over time.

Wilson was a prominent figure in Canadian science and served as the principal of Erindale College at the University of Toronto. He was also the Director General of the Ontario Science Centre and instrumental in the early planning of the Canadian Space Agency.