Daily Image
13-04-2010
Jan Veldkamp, born 13 April 1909 in Groningen
| Submitter: | Richard Strom |
| Description: | Described as a geophysicist interested in everything about the Earth from its core to the Van Allen belts, Jan Veldkamp was a member of the original SRZM board. He studied physics at his hometown university, earning a doctor’s degree in 1934 based on x-ray spectroscopy of metals. He continued similar research for 4 years before accepting an appointment to set up a geomagnetic station for the KNMI (Netherlands Meteorological Institute) in Witteveen, Drenthe, not far from the Dwingeloo and Westerbork Observatories. Within 3 years, the Witteveen Magnetic Station was fully operational, and the self-taught geophysicist was appointed Adjunct Director of the Department of Seismology and Geomagnetism at the KNMI headquarters in De Bilt. During the war, Veldkamp and his group made precise measurements of the geomagnetic field at 400 locations in the Netherlands. Although wartime made the work challenging, the low level of traffic – especially on the railways – positively contributed to the quality of the data which are among the best ever recorded. In 1949 Veldkamp initiated regular ionospheric monitoring in De Bilt, information which was of great interest to the radio astronomers. Veldkamp made fundamental contributions to many areas of geophysics, including paleomagnetism in which he was a pioneer. He was also a talented photographer, as illustrated by the self-portrait shown above. (This is one of several portraits of key figures in early Dutch radio astronomy. For some of the background, look here) |
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