Väinö Auer (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈʋæi̯nø ˈʔɑu̯er]; January 7, 1895, Helsinki – March 20, 1981, Helsinki), the son of senator , was a Finnish geologist and geographer, chiefly remembered as an explorer of Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia. He is also noted for his pioneering studies on tephrochronology, desertification, and the development of bogs. Auer returned to Finland in 1953. In the last years of his professional career, he served as a professor of geography (1953–1957), and of geology and palaeontology (1957–1963) at the University of Helsinki.