Peter F. Lonsdale was born in Sandown, Isle of Wight (England) on April 1, 1948. He graduated with the B.A. degree from the University of Cambridge in 1969, and the Ph.D. degree from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, in 1974.Since then he has been at the Scripps Institution, where at present he is a Professor of Oceanography and Research Geologist. His principal research interest is in the geomorphology of the abyssal seafloor, especially in regions of active tectonic, volcanic, or bottom current activity.