Otto Wilhelm Hermann von Abich

Otto Wilhelm Hermann von Abich (December 11, 1806 – July 1, 1886) was a German mineralogist and geologist. Full member of St Petersburg Academy of Sciences (hon. member since 1866).

Otto Wilhelm Hermann von Abich
Born	December 11, 1806 (1806-12-11) Berlin
Died	July 1, 1886 (1886-08) (aged 79) Vienna
Nationality	German
Alma mater	Humboldt University of Berlin
Scientific career
Fields	mineralogist geologist
Institutions	University of Tartu

Biography

He was born in Berlin and educated at the local university.[1] His earliest scientific work is related to spinels and other minerals. Later he made special studies of fumaroles, of the mineral deposits around volcanic vents, and of the structure of volcanoes. In 1842 he was appointed professor of mineralogy in the university of Dorpat (Tartu), and henceforth gave attention to the geology and mineralogy of the Russian Empire.[2] Residing for some time at Tiflis, he investigated the geology of the Armenian Highland (this term was introduced by Abich)[3] and Caucasus.[4][5] In 1844 and 1845 he ascended Ararat volcano several times,[5] studied the geological event of 1840 that was centered on Ararat (Akori village). In 1877 he retired to Vienna, where he died. The mineral Abichite was named after him.[2]

Publications

The following are listed in Chisholm (1911), p. 62:

• Vues illustratives de quelques phenomenes geologiques, prises sur le Vesuve et l'Etna, pendant les annees 1833 et 1834 (Berlin, 1836);
• Ueber die Natur und den Zusammenhang der vulcanischen Bildungen (Brunswick, 1841);
• Geologische Forschungen in den Kaukasischen Ländern (3 vols., Vienna, 1878, 1882, and 1887).

References

1. Biography
2.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Abich, Otto Wilhelm Hermann von". Encyclopædia Britannica. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 62.
3. Armenian identity in a changing world, Levon Abrahamian, Mazda Publishers, 2006 – p. 50
4. Hermann Abich (1806–1886): ‘the Father of Caucasian Geology’ and his travels in the Caucasus and Armenian Highlands, by E. E. Milanovsky
5. Four Centuries of Geological Travel: edited by Patrick N. Wyse Jackson, p. 178

Further reading

• Tikhomirov, V.V. (1970). "Abich, Otto Hermann Wilhelm". Dictionary of Scientific Biography. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 19–21.