Veikko Aleksanteri Heiskanen was a Finnish geodesist and geophysicist. He was known for his refinement of George Biddell Airy and John Henry Pratt's theories of isostasy into his own, the Heiskanen hypothesis. With Felix Andries Vening Meinesz, he wrote the textbook The Earth and its Gravity Field (1958), and in 1960 a paper by Heiskanen, "The latest achievements of physical geodesy" was discussed in the scientific literature. With Helmut Moritz, Heiskanen wrote the textbook Physical Geodesy (1967), which became a standard text the field of geodesy and for the study of the geoid. Heiskanen's doctoral students include Ivan I. Mueller.

Isostasy or isostatic equilibrium is the state of gravitational equilibrium between Earth's crust and mantle such that the crust "floats" at an elevation that depends on its thickness and density. This concept is invoked to explain how different topographic heights can exist at Earth's surface. Although originally defined in terms of continental crust and mantle, it has subsequently been interpreted in terms of lithosphere and asthenosphere, particularly with respect to oceanic island volcanoes, such as the Hawaiian Islands.