Donald L. Turcotte

Donald Turcotte
Born(1932-04-22)April 22, 1932
DiedFebruary 4, 2025(2025-02-04) (aged 92)
Alma materCaltech (BS, 1954)
Cornell University (MAeroEng, 1955)
Caltech (PhD, 1958)
Known forGeophysics
AwardsArthur L. Day Medal(1981), Charles A. Whitten Medal (1995), William Bowie Medal (2002)
Scientific career
InstitutionsCornell
UC Davis
Thesis An Experimental Investigation of Flame Stabilization in a Heated Turbulent Boundary Layer
Doctoral advisorFrank E. Marble
Notable studentsLouise Kellogg, E Marc Parmentier, Bruce Malamud, Cheryl Fillekes

Donald Lawson Turcotte (April 22, 1932 – February 4, 2025) was an American geophysicist most noted for his work on the boundary layer theory of mantle convection as part of the theory of plate tectonics. He worked at Cornell University then the University of California, Davis.