Åke Sundborg

Åke Sundborg (15 October 1921 – 23 May 2007) was a Swedish geographer and geomorphologist known for his contributions to the hydrology and geomorphological dynamics of rivers. He was active at Uppsala University where he studied under the supervision of Filip Hjulström eventually succeeding him on the chair of physical geography. Besides his studies of rivers Sundborg made contributions on the climate of cities, the distribution of loess and the sedimentation of reservoirs and lakes. He studied rivers in Sweden as well as various large rivers in Africa and Asia.

Åke Sundborg was drawn to the charismatic Filip Hjulström who influenced him to shift his field of study and pursue Ph.D. studies on fluvial geomorphology under his tutelage. Subsequently, he was employed by the Uppsala University where he directed the construction of the geomorphological laboratory. Over time this laboratory attracted numerous visiting scholars and Ph.D. students. Together with the other Ph.D. students of Hjulström, Anders Rapp, Valter Axelsson and John O. Norrman, Sundborg was part of what came to be known as the Uppsala School of Physical Geography. Beginning in the 1960s Sundborg begun a series of river studies outside Sweden, both as researcher and as foreign advisor. As such he studied the Mississippi, Rufiji, the Nile, Ganges, Brahmaputra, the Red River and the Yellow River.

Sundborg succeeded Hjulström as professor of physical geography at Uppsala University in 1969 and held that position until 1986. He was elected member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1973.