- Brian Harold Mason
Brian Harold Mason (born 1917) is one of the pioneers in the study of
meteorites . [ [http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/Astronomy/Meteorites/2/ENZ-Resources/Standard/5/en Meteorites - Brian Mason, geochemist and meteorite scientist - Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand ] ] He has played a leading part in understanding the nature of thesolar system through his studies ofmeteorites andlunar rocks. He has also examined and classified thousands ofmeteorites collected fromAntarctica . [ [http://www.scitech-trust.org.nz/brianmason.htm ::: Brian Mason - a brief profile :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ] ] Brian also wrote the seminal text bookPrincipals of Geochemistry .Brian was born in
Port Chalmers ,Dunedin , in 1917 and was brought up inChristchurch ,New Zealand . He studied geology and chemistry atCanterbury University College . In 1943, he completed a PhD ingeochemistry at theUniversity of Stockholm .Brian was a curator at both the
American Museum of Natural History and theSmithsonian Institution .Two minerals have been named after Brian.
Brianite is aphosphate mineral andStenhuggarite (from the Swedish ‘stenhuggar’ – ‘mason’) is a rareiron -antimony mineral .Asteroid 12926 Brianmason is also named in his honor. [http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=12926]Brian won the
Leonard Medal from theMeteoritical Society in 1972 and theRoebling Medal from theMineralogical Society of America in 1993.References
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