Edmund Naumann (1854‒1927):Fossa Magna and Mt Fuji

抄録

After a long period of national isolation, Japan eventually opened its doors in 1854 for the foreign countries. The Japanese government noted the scarcity of mineral resources and hired many foreign geologists from America, Britain, France, and Germany. Edmund Naumann (1854‒1927) from Germany succeeded in establishing himself as a prominent geologist. Naumann visited Japan in 1875. He became the first Professor of Geology at Tokyo Daigaku (Tokyo University), founded the Geological Survey of Japan, and made useful geological reconnaissance maps of Japan. In 1885, he returned to Germany and presented his maps at the third International Geological Congress (IGC) in Berlin, which were greatly admired. His seminal geologic work concerned Fossa Magna in central Japan. He thought Fossa Magna's origin might be linked to the formation of Mt Fuji. He had always been fascinated by Mt Fuji since his arrival in Japan; he climbed it in 1883 and researched it from different aspects (e.g., geology, volcanology, etc.). Based on magnetic research, he proposed a model for the origin of Fossa Magna. As Naumann was the first official geologist in Japan, he was mandated to research everything ranging geology to geomagnetism. This may explain why Naumann was conduct rigorous research on Fossa Magna.