Description
This National Academy of Sciences document is the biography of Claire Cameron Patterson, an American geochemist. Patterson was born in Mitchellville, Iowa, who spent his entire professional career at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). In collaboration with George Tilton, Patterson developed the uranium–lead dating method into lead–lead dating. Using his technique, Patterson was able to calculate the age of the Earth at 4.55 billion years, which was a figure far more accurate than those that existed at the time.
Full Transcript of Clair Cameron Patterson's Biography
Transcribed Excerpts from Clair Cameron Patterson's Biography
Source-Dependent Questions
- What was the main focus of Clair Patterson's research? What is he known for discovering? How did he discover it?
- As a by-product of his work, what else did Patterson discover which has had a major impact on societies around the world?
- What controversies did Patterson face during his research? In what ways did these issues highlight the way humans were impacting the Earth?
Citation Information
Tilton, George R., "Claire Cameron Patterson: 1922-1995," 1998. Courtesy of National Academy of Sciences