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'Frederick John Vine' (born June 17, 1939) is a marine geologist and geophysicist and was a key contributor to the theory of plate tectonics.
Vine's work, along with that of fellow Briton J.D. Matthews and Canadian Lawrence Morley, helped put the variations in the magnetic properties of the ocean crust into proper context. Specifically Vine and Matthews supported Dietz’s (''Nature'' 1961) idea that sea floor spreading was occurring at mid ocean ridges. Vine and Matthews showed that basalt created at a mid-ocean ridge records earth’s current magnetic field polarity (and strength). Furthermore, they showed that magnetic reversals, suggest by Allan Cox (''Nature'' 1963), can be seen as parallel strips as you travel perpendicularly away from the ridge crest. Vine was awarded the Day Medal in 1968.
Professor Vine served as Dean of the School of Environmental Science, University of East Anglia from 1977-1980, and 1993-1998. As of 2006 he remains at the university as Emeritus Professor.