Clair Cameron Patterson
(1922-1995)
C.C. Patterson developed the uranium-lead dating method. Using lead and uranium isotopic data from the Canyon Diablo meteorite, he calculated an age for the Earth of 4.55 billion years. A figure far more accurate than those that existed at the time and one that has remained unchanged for over 50 years.
Photo: from Clair's 1980 Goldschmidt Medal acceptance speech, published in GCA v.45/8 p.
The Clair C. Patterson Award is presented annually. The award consists of an engraved silver medal, an honorarium (US$ 750), a certificate, and inclusion as a Geochemistry Fellow.
The Clair C. Patterson Award is presented annually for an innovative breakthrough in environmental geochemistry of fundamental significance within the last decade, particularly in service to society. To be viewed as innovative, the work must show a high degree of creativity and/or be a fundamental departure from usual practice while contributing significantly to understanding in environmental geochemistry.
Nominations of people from underrepresented groups are encouraged (e.g., women, non-white researchers and/or researchers from Asia, Africa and Latin America, disabled scientists, those who have led diversified careers, other historically minoritized groups, and intersections thereof).
An individual may not receive the Patterson Award, Clarke Award, and/or the European Association of Geochemistry's Houtermans Award for the same body of work.
Go to Make a Nomination for eligibility and nomination requirements.
| Year | Medalist | Citationist | Published Speech |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Avner Vengosh | ||
| 2024 | Satoshi Utsunomiya | Rodney C. Ewing | Citation | Acceptance |
| 2023 | Myrna J. Simpson | ||
| 2022 | Xiangdong Li | David L. Sedlak | Citation | Acceptance |
| 2021 | Michael Hochella | Gordon E. Brown, Jr. | Citation | Acceptance |
| 2020 | Naohiro Yoshida | Mark Thiemens | Citation |
| 2019 | Barbara Sherwood Lollar | James Farquhar | Citation | Acceptance |
| 2018 | Sigurður Reynir Gíslason | Eric H. Oelkers | GCA v. 246 pp. 585-593 |
| 2017 | Kai-Uwe Hinrichs | Fumio Inagaki | |
| 2016 | William Casey | Tom Swaddle | GCA v. 201 pp. 430-433 |
| 2015 | Karen H. Johannesson | Berry Lyons | GCA v. 172 pp. 463-464 |
| 2014 | Christopher Reddy | Timothy Eglinton | GCA v. 172 pp. 458-460 |
| 2013 | Joel Blum | Yigal Erel | Citation | Acceptance |
| 2012 | Stefan Schouten | Rich Pancost | .. |
| 2011 | Jeffrey P. Severinghaus | Boaz Luz | .. |
| 2010 | Robert F. Anderson | Jerry McManus | .. |
| 2009 | Boaz Luz | Yehoshua Kolodny | GCA v.89 pp.339-342 |
| 2008 | William Sunda | Brad Tebo | GCA v.73/13S pp.S10-S12 |
| 2007 | Gordon E. Brown, Jr. | George Helz | GCA v.72/12S pp.S9-S11 |
| 2006 | Fred T. MacKenzie | John Morse | GCA v.71/15S pp.S14-S18 |
| 2005 | Kenneth Bruland | Margaret Delaney | .. |
| 2004 | George W. Luther, III | David Rickard | GCA v.70/18S pp.S13-S15 |
| 2003 | William F. Fitzgerald | W. Berry Lyons | GCA v.68/9 pp.1959-1962 |
| 2002 | Henry Elderfield | Alex N. Halliday | GCA v.67/13 pp.2309-2311 |
| 2001 | Francois M.M. Morel | Dianne K. Newman | GCA v.66/4 pp.553-555 |
| 2000 | Edward A. Boyle | Henry Elderfield | GCA v.65/6 pp.1007-1010 |
| 1999 | R. Lawrence Edwards | G.J. Wasserburg | GCA v.64/4 pp.755-761 |
| 1998 | Michael L. Bender | .. | .. |