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, recognizing an innovative breakthrough of fundamental significance in environmental geochemistry, particularly in service of society, consisting of either a single outstanding contribution or a short series of papers published within the last decade, is presented annually at the V.M. Goldschmidt Conference. The research must be highly original and contribute in a significant fashion to our understanding of the natural behavior of the Earth's environment. There is no age limit associated with this honor. An individual may not receive the Patterson and Clarke Awards for the same body of work. If the scientific discovery is clearly a joint effort, then the award may be shared in a given year.
Go to Make a Nomination for eligibility and nomination requirements.
| Year | Medalist | Citationist | Published Speech |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Barbara Sherwood Lollar | ||
| 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 | .. | .. |