He was a son of Ole Tobias Olsen (1830–1924) and Christine Bernhardine Dahl (1855–1910).
As well as Spitsbergen his expeditions went to East Greenland and Bear Island.
He served as operating manager of the molybdenite mines Ornehommen Molybdengruber 1915 to 1916 and at Dalen Gruber in Telemark county from 1918 to 1921.
degree in 1934 on the thesis Geology of the Kings Bay Region, Spitsbergen.
He died during 1980 and was buried in the cemetery at Vestre Aker Church in Oslo.