Scoresby, William (skôrzˈbē) [key], 1789–1857, English arctic
explorer and scientist. He made yearly voyages (1803–22) to
Greenland, at first on his father's whaler, later as captain on
other ships. Preparing himself by study between voyages, he
mapped, charted, made deep-sea temperature soundings, noted the
flora and fauna, and collected other valuable data along the
little-known and hitherto unknown coasts of Greenland, giving
special attention to terrestrial magnetism. His last trip to the
Arctic was made in 1822. In 1825 he entered the Anglican
ministry. He maintained his interest in exploration and
encouraged the search for the Northwest Passage. He made a
voyage to Australia (1856) to study terrestrial magnetism.
Scoresby's several books on his arctic experiences helped lay
the foundations of modern arctic geography. The Columbia
Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia
University Press. All rights reserved. See more Encyclopedia
articles on: Geography: Biographies