Ian Dalziel is a Scottish geologist who pioneered the study of pre-Pangaea plate tectonics and the theory of supercontinent cycles on Earth.

[5] Ian Dalziel was born 26 November 1937, in Glasgow, Scotland where he lived with his actor parents before moving to the University of Edinburgh, where he earned a B.Sc.

[6] As a child, Dalziel gained an early appreciation for geology and remote places while on holiday in the highlands and islands of Scotland with his parents.

[11] In 2021, Dalziel was awarded the Penrose Medal by the Geological Society of America for pioneering discoveries about Earth's ancient geography and its past supercontinents.

"[5][12] In 2023, Dalziel was awarded the Polar Medal by the U.K. and Commonwealth government, for contributions to Antarctic geology, including discoveries about its ancient past and the fragility of the ice sheet.