Robert Arbuckle Berner

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Berner

Robert Arbuckle Berner (November 25, 1935 – January 10, 2015) was an American scientist known for his contributions to the modeling of the carbon cycle. He taught Geology and Geophysics from 1965 to 2007 at Yale University, where he latterly served as Professor Emeritus until his death. His work on sedimentary rocks led to the co-founding of the BLAG model of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which takes into account both geochemical and biological contributions to the carbon cycle.

Early life Berner was born on November 11, 1935 in Erie, Pennsylvania to Paul Nau Berner and Priscilla (Arbuckle) Berner. He attended the University of Michigan, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1957 and his master's degree in 1958. After, he attended Harvard University where in 1962 he earned his Ph.D. in Geology.

Academic career and research In 1962, Berner won a fellowship to do research at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego, California. From 1963 until 1965, he worked as an assistant professor at the University of Chicago. Beginning in 1965, he taught at Yale University where he became the Alan M. Bateman Professor in 1987, a position he held until his retirement in 2007.

Berner's early research focused on the application of chemical thermodynamics and kinetics on sediments and sedimentary rocks. Results from these experiments led to his 1971 book Principles of Chemical Sedimentology. In 1980, Berner authored Early Diagenesis: A Theoretical Approach which was quoted so often that the Institute for Scientific Information declared it a Science Citation Classic.[2] Noting the role that sedimentary rocks at or near the Earth's surface play in the carbon cycle, Berner, along with Tony Lasaga, and Bob Garrels put forth the BLAG model of the carbon cycle in 1983 (BLAG from the letters of their last names). BLAG attempts to model variations of atmospheric carbon dioxide back through geologic time to the Cretaceous using both Geochemical and Biological carbon cycles. Berner subsequently extended this idea with the GEOCARB model, which attempts to model such variations back to the Phanerozoic. Berner's later research focused on computer modeling of carbon and sulfur cycles, as well as the effects of atmospheric carbon dioxide and oxygen on the paleoclimate.

Personal life In 1959, Berner married fellow Geology graduate student Elizabeth Marshall Kay. They have three children, and coauthored a book together in 1995, Global Environment: Water, Air, and Geochemical Cycles. Berner's father-in-law, Professor Marshall Kay was a well-known academic geologist as well.

Berner died on January 10, 2015, following a long illness

Awards and honors Member of the National Academy of Sciences Most-cited Scientist, Institute for Science Information Sverdrup Postdoctoral Fellow, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, 1962-1963 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship in Chemistry, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, 1968 Mineralogical Society of America Award, 1971 Guggenheim Fellow in Earth Science, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, 1972 Doctor Honoris Causa, Université Aix-Marseille III, 1991 A. G. Huntsman Medal in Oceanography, 1993 V. M. Goldschmidt Medal, The Geochemical Society, 1995 Murchison Medal, Geological Society of London, 1996 Arthur L. Day Medal, Geological Society of America, 1996 Bownocker Medal, Ohio State University 2001 Vernadsky Medal, International Association of GeoChemistry, 2012 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Earth and Environmental Science, Franklin Institute, 2013

References Jump up ^ "About Robert Arbuckle Berner". The People of Geology & Geophysics. Yale University. Retrieved May 5, 2013. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Berner, Robert A. (1935- )". eNotes: Topics: Science. eNotes.com, Inc. Retrieved May 5, 2013. ^ Jump up to: a b c "2013 IAGC Award Winners". IAGC. International Association of GeoChemistry. Retrieved May 5, 2013. Jump up ^ "In memoriam: Robert Berner, a ‘giant of geology’". Yale News. Yale University. January 13, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2015. ^ Jump up to: a b "Robert Berner CV". The People of Geology & Geophysics. Yale University. Retrieved Sep 9, 2013. Jump up ^ "Past Fellows". Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ "MSA AWARD". Mineralogical Society of America. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ "All Fellows". John Simon Gugggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowships to Assist Research and Artistic Creation. John Simon Gugggenheim Memorial Foundation. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ "Past Recipients". A.G. Huntsman Award for Excellence in Marine Science. Royal Society of Canada. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ "V.M. Goldschmidt Award". Geochemical Society Awards. The Geochemical Society. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ "Murchison Medal". Award Winners Since 1831. The Geological Society of London. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ "Past Award & Medal Recipients". Medal and Award Recipients. The Geological Society of America. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ "Laureates". The Franklin Institute Awards. The Franklin Institute. Retrieved May 6, 2013.

Robert Arbuckle Berner of North Haven, the Bateman Professor of Geology Emeritus at Yale, passed away Jan. 10, 2015 after a long illness. Bob was born Nov. 25, 1935 in Erie, PA son of Paul & Priscilla Berner. He graduated from University of Michigan and earned his Ph.D. at Harvard. In 1959, Berner married fellow geology graduate student Elizabeth Marshall Kay. They collaborated on 3 books about the global water cycle and environment. Berner also was the author or co-author of hundreds of journal articles, the author of 3 other books and was a Most Cited Scientist by the Institute for Science Information. Per Yale's Geology Chair Jay Ague, "Bob was one of the greatest geochemists and, more broadly, geologists who ever lived. It is simply impossible to list all of his accomplishments. He was also a thoughtful teacher and mentor, inspiring a whole generation of geochemists. His work provided the basis for virtually all modern carbon cycling research going on today." Bob was awarded the prestigious Franklin Medal from the Franklin Institute for "deepening our understanding of the Earth system through studies of the chemistry of geological processes and their influence on the atmosphere and oceans." He was elected to the Natl. Acad. of Sciences and received an honorary Doctorate from the Univ. Aix-Marseille. He received many other honors including a Guggenheim Fellowship and 6 honorary scientific medals. Bob also had a tremendous sense of humor and enjoyed telling amusing stories to his family, composing and listening to music, fine wine, visiting Hawaii, old movies, and the New York Yankees. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; their three children, John (Cathy) of Houston, TX; Susan Wenger (Mark) of Swarthmore, PA; James (Sheila) of Westport, CT; as well as a brother Paul Berner, of La Porte, TX, and 7 grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bob's name can be made to: Geology Graduate Research and Field Studies fund c/o Rebecca Pocock, 210 Whitney Ave. New Haven, CT 06511.