Background
Bullard, Edward Crisp was born on September 21, 1907 in Norwich, Norfolk, England. Son of Edward John and Eleanor Howes (Crisp) Bullard.
Bullard, Edward Crisp was born on September 21, 1907 in Norwich, Norfolk, England. Son of Edward John and Eleanor Howes (Crisp) Bullard.
He was educated at Norwich School and later studied Natural Sciences at Clare College, Cambridge. He studied under Ernest Rutherford at the Cavendish Laboratory of University of Cambridge and in the 1930s he received his Doctor of Philosophy degree as a nuclear physicist.
He developed the theory of the geodynamo, pioneered the use of seismology to study the sea floor, measured geothermal heat flow through the ocean crust, and was one of the first to find new evidence for the theory of continental drift. In the 1930s nuclear physics did not seem to be it so he switched to geophysics. During World World War II he was an experimental officer at HMS Vernon, and worked on the development of degaussing techniques to protect shipping from magnetic mines.
Bullard held a chair at the University of Toronto from 1948-1950 and was head of the National Physical Laboratory between 1950 and 1955.
He returned to Cambridge in 1955, first as an assistant in research, then as a Reader and finally to a chair created for him in 1964. He was a founding fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge
Bullard became one of the most important geophysicists of his day.
He also did studies of the ocean floor even though he suffered from seasickness and could rarely take scientific trips on the ocean. He was important to dynamo theory, hence his most important work concerned the source of the Earth"s magnetic field
He was often frustrated by efforts to increase geophysical interest at the University of Cambridge.
Then during the early 1960s Bullard and his associates used a computer to try to fit all of the continents together. Instead of using the shorelines, like other geophysicists had done, he used a depth of 2000 meters (6560 ft) below sea level This depth corresponds to about halfway between the shoreline and the ocean basins and represents the true edge of the continents.
By doing this he discovered a near perfect fit among the continents put together.
With this discovery he helped further the idea of a supercontinent that earlier geophysicist, Alfred Wegener, had suggested calling Pangaea. After retiring from Cambridge he settled to a position at the University of California, San Diego.
Bullard died in Louisiana Jolla, California 1980. His papers are held by the Churchill Archives Centre.
Member Geophysical Union (Bowie medal 1975, Ewing medal 1978), Royal Society London (Hughes medal 1953, Royal medal 1975), Royal Astronomical Society, The Physical Society (Chree medal 1956), Cambridge Philosophical Society, Geological Society, London, Geological Society American, American Academy Arts and Sciences, United States National Academy Science (foreign associate). Member American Philosophical Society.
Married Margaret Thomas, July 25, 1931 (divorced January 23, 1974). Married second, Ursula Curnow, June 17, 1974. Children: Belinda, Emily, Henrietta, Polly.