Samuel Epstein (geochemist)

Infobox_Scientist
name = Samuel Epstein


image_width =
caption =
birth_date = birth date|1919|12|9
birth_place = Kobryn, Belarus
residence =
nationality =
death_date = death date and age|2001|9|17|1919|12|9
death_place = Pasadena, California, United States
field = Geochemistry, Chemistry
work_institution = California Institute of Technology,
University of Chicago,
Canadian Atomic Energy Project
alma_mater = McGill University,
University of Manitoba
doctoral_advisor = Carl A. Winkler
doctoral_students = Robert N. Clayton
known_for = Helped establish the fields of stable isotope geochemistry,
carbonate paleothermometry
prizes = Wollaston Medal (1977),
V. M. Goldschmidt Award (1977),
Urey Medal (European Association for Geochemistry) (1995)
religion =
footnotes =

Samuel Epstein (December 9, 1919 – September 17, 2001) was a Canadian-American geochemist who developed methods for reconstructing geologic temperature records using stable isotope geochemistry. He was elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1977, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1997.

Biography

Sam Epstein was born in Kobryn, Belarus, then part of Poland, and as a child his family emigrated to Winnipeg, Manitoba. After receiving a B.Sc. in Geology and Chemistry (1941) and a M.Sc. in Chemistry (1942) from the University of Manitoba, Epstein completed his Ph.D. at McGill University under the supervision of Carl A. Winkler in 1944. His thesis focused on the synthesis and reaction kinetics of high explosives, including RDX and HMX. Epstein subsequently worked for the Canadian Atomic Energy Project for several years.

In 1947, Epstein moved to the United States to begin a research fellowship with Harold Urey's group at the University of Chicago. While at Chicago, Epstein, along with Ralph Buchsbaum, Heinz A. Lowenstam, C. R. McKinney and others developed the carbonate-water isotopic temperature scale, allowing ancient ocean temperatures to be determined from precise measurements of ¹⁸O/¹⁶O in geological samples of calcium carbonate. [cite journal
author=S. Epstein, R. Buchsbaum, H. A. Lowenstam, and H. C. Urey
title = Carbonate-water isotopic temperature scale
journal= Geological Society of America Bulletin
year=1951
volume=62
pages=417–426
doi = 10.1130/0016-7606(1951)62 [417:CITS] 2.0.CO;2
doilabel = 10.1130/0016-7606(1951)62[417:CITS]2.0.CO;2 cite journal
author=H. C. Urey, H. A. Lowenstam, S. Epstein, C. R. McKinney
title = Measurement of paleotemperatures and temperatures of the Upper Cretaceous of England, Denmark and the Southeastern United States
journal= Geological Society of America Bulletin
year=1951 | volume=62 |pages=399–416
doi = 10.1130/0016-7606(1951)62 [399:MOPATO] 2.0.CO;2
doilabel = 10.1130/0016-7606(1951)62[399:MOPATO]2.0.CO;2 ] This method is still the most widely used geochemical climate proxy for locations and times not sampled in ice core records. Epstein joined the faculty of the California Institute of Technology in 1952, and continued to explore the new field of stable isotope geochemistry. He and his students used mass spectrometry to study natural variations in the isotopic abundances of hydrogen, carbon, oxygen and silicon, with applications to archeology, biochemistry, climatology, and geology.

Epstein remained at Caltech as a Professor and Professor Emeritus until shortly before his death on September 17, 2001.

References

External links

* [http://mr.caltech.edu/media/Press_Releases/PR12181.html Obituary, California Institute of Technology]
* [http://www.geochemsoc.org/awards/vmgoldschmidtaward.htm V. M. Goldschmidt award winners]