Wilson, J. Tuzo

[person]

Canadian geophysicst, born in Ottawa, Ontario (1908-1993). Wilson is best known for proposing the hotspot hypothesis to explain island chains such as Hawaii. This hypothesis bolstered the theory of plate tectonics by resolving the issue of how active volcanoes could exist far from plate boundaries. He also proposed the existence of transform plate boundaries, where plates meet in transform faults such as the San Andreas.