The Thorarinsson Medal honors the memory of Professor Sigurdur Thorarinsson who was born on January 8, 1912, in Vopnafjordur, eastern Iceland, and died in Reykjavik on February 8, 1983. Professor Thorarinsson is known for his pioneering work in volcanology, especially tephrochronology of Iceland. The medal was donated by the Iceland Geoscience Society. The medal is the most senior medal of IAVCEI. It is given every four years at the IAVCEI Scientific Assembly to a scientist of outstanding distinction who has made fundamental contributions to research in volcanology.
PREVIOUS THORARINSSON MEDALISTS
1987 Robert L. Smith (U.S.A.)
1989 George P.L. Walker (U.K.)
1993 Hans U. Schmincke (F.R. Germany)
1997 Richard V. Fisher (U.S.A.)
2000 Keiiti Aki (U.S.A./France)
2004 Wes Hildreth (U.S.A.)
2008 Robert Stephen John Sparks (UK)
2013 Barry Voight (USA)
2017 Bruce Frank Houghton (USA)
2023 Katharine V. Cashman (USA)