World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Xavier Le Pichon

Xavier Le Pichon

D-Index & Metrics

Earth Science

D-Index
88
Citations
28127
World Ranking
307
National Ranking
15

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2002 - International Balzan Prize
  • 1995 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 1990 - Japan Prize for the initiation of the theory of plate tectonics and contributions to its development.
  • 1988 - Member of Academia Europaea
  • 1985 - Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU)
  • Fellow of the Geological Society of America
  • GSA Honorary Fellow Award, The Geological Society of America
  • Fellow of the Geological Society of America
  • GSA Honorary Fellow Award, The Geological Society of America

Overview

Xavier Le Pichon was affiliated with Sorbonne University in France and contributed significantly to the fields of Earth and Planetary Sciences as well as Medicine. Their research spanned several specialized subfields, including Geophysics, Paleontology, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging, Artificial Intelligence, and Oncology.

The scientist's work concentrated on a variety of topics, notably Geological and Geochemical Analysis, High-pressure Geophysics and Materials, Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils, Radiomics and Machine Learning in Medical Imaging, AI applications in cancer detection, and Colorectal Cancer Screening and Detection.

Le Pichon published multiple papers in reputable journals with an emphasis on tectonics and oncology. The following are some of their recent publications:

  • Pangea Migration, 2021, Tectonics
  • Breakup of Pangea and the Cretaceous Revolution, 2023, Tectonics
  • 2329P Evidence for the utility of artificial intelligence and image analysis in Ki-67 quantification in solid tumors, 2023, Annals of Oncology

Collaboration featured prominently in their career, with several frequent coauthors including A. M. Celâl Şengör, M. Jellinek, A. Lenardic, Caner İmren, and Rania Gaspo.

Their contributions were published mainly in the journals Tectonics and Annals of Oncology, marking a cross-disciplinary impact spanning geosciences and medical fields.

During their career, they received multiple distinctions acknowledging their scientific contributions. These awards included:

  • International Balzan Prize, 2002
  • Member of the National Academy of Sciences, 1995
  • Japan Prize, 1990, for the initiation of the theory of plate tectonics and contributions to its development
  • Member of Academia Europaea, 1988
  • Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU), 1985
  • GSA Honorary Fellow Award, The Geological Society of America
  • Fellow of the Geological Society of America

Best Publications

  • Sea-floor spreading and continental drift

    Xavier Le Pichon

  • Geological evolution of the tethys belt from the atlantic to the pamirs since the LIAS

    J. Dercourt;L.P. Zonenshain;L.-E. Ricou;V.G. Kazmin

  • The hellenic arc and trench system: A key to the neotectonic evolution of the eastern mediterranean area

    Xavier Le Pichon;Jacques Angelier

  • THE NORTH ANATOLIAN FAULT: A NEW LOOK

    A.M.C. Şengör;Okan Tüysüz;Caner İmren;Mehmet Sakınç

  • Marine Magnetic Anomalies, Geomagnetic Field Reversals, and Motions of the Ocean Floor and

    Unknown

  • Geodetic determination of the kinematics of central Greece with respect to Europe: Implications for eastern Mediterranean tectonics

    Xavier Le Pichon;Nicolas Chamot-Rooke;Siegfried Lallemant;Ron Noomen

  • Passive margins: A model of formation

    Xavier Le Pichon;Jean-Claude Sibuet

  • Marginal offsets, fracture zones, and the early opening of the North Atlantic

    Xavier Le Pichon;Paul J. Fox

  • Deep basins of the Black Sea and Caspian Sea as remnants of Mesozoic back-arc basins

    L.P. Zonenshain;X. Pichon

  • The tectonic development of the hellenic arc and the sea of crete: A synthesis

    Jacques Angelier;Nikolas Lybéris;Xavier Le Pichon;Eric Barrier

  • The active Main Marmara Fault

    X. Le Pichon;X. Le Pichon;A.M.C. Şengör;E. Demirbağ;E. Demirbağ;C. Rangin

  • Kinematic evolution of the tethys belt from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamirs since the Triassic

    Léonid A. Savostin;Jean-Claude Sibuet;Lev P. Zonenshain;Xavier Le Pichon

  • Magnetic anomalies in the Indian Ocean and sea‐floor spreading

    Xavier Le Pichon;James R. Heirtzler

  • Crustal structure of the mid‐ocean ridges: 5. Heat flow through the Atlantic Ocean floor and convection currents

    Marcus G. Langseth;Xavier Le Pichon;Maurice Ewing

  • Velocity field in Asia inferred from Quaternary fault slip rates and Global Positioning System observations

    W. E. Holt;N. Chamot-Rooke;X. Le Pichon;A. J. Haines

  • A plate-tectonic analysis of the Red Sea—Gulf of Aden Area☆

    Xavier Le Pichon;Jean Francheteau

  • Kinematics, topography, shortening, and extrusion in the India‐Eurasia collision

    Xavier Le Pichon;Marc Fournier;Laurent Jolivet

  • The fit of the continents around the North Atlantic Ocean

    Xavier Le Pichon;Jean-Claude Sibuet;Jean Francheteau

  • Subsidence in the gulf of suez: implications for rifting and plate kinematics

    Michael S Steckler;François Berthelot;Nicolas Lyberis;Xavier Le Pichon

  • Crustal structure of the mid‐ocean ridges: 2. Computed model from gravity and seismic refraction data

    Manik Talwani;Xavier Le Pichon;Maurice Ewing

  • Plate kinematics and tectonics leading to the Alpine belt formation; A new analysis

    Xavier Le Pichon;Françoise Bergerat;Marie-José Roulet

Frequent Co-Authors

Pierre Henry
Pierre Henry Aix-Marseille University
Jean-Claude Sibuet
Jean-Claude Sibuet French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea
Maurice Ewing
Maurice Ewing Columbia University
Siegfried Lallemant
Siegfried Lallemant CY Cergy Paris University
Jacques Angelier
Jacques Angelier Sorbonne University
John Ewing
John Ewing Columbia University
Philippe Huchon
Philippe Huchon Sorbonne University
Manik Talwani
Manik Talwani Rice University
Jean-Paul Foucher
Jean-Paul Foucher French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea
Jean Francheteau
Jean Francheteau University of California, San Diego

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