2005 Medals & Awards Penrose Medal
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2005 MEDALS & AWARDS PENROSE MEDAL to younger ages, he was able to overlap the been named the most-cited geoscience author ranges of these two methods. in the past decade. Presented to Minze Stuiver His early work involved short-term To expand his paleoclimatic research variations in atmospheric radiocarbon and into ice core analysis, Minze obtained a high- their relationship to changes in the solar quality mass spectrometer system for 18O/16O magnetic field was groundbreaking and analysis. He and P.M. Grootes produced 18O his measurements were state of the art. His records for the tropical Quelccaya ice core research on solar activity through study of in Peru with Lonnie Thompson, the J-9 core 14C in tree rings has had a major impact and the Taylor Dome core in Antarctica, and on solar and atmospheric research. Careful the historic GISP2 core in Greenland. These analysis of the atmospheric 14C fluctuations, records contributed to our understanding of revealed by the high-precision 14C calibration the climate signal in tropical glaciers and record, allowed Minze to demonstrate the North-South climate connections. The GISP2 role of the sun in modulating the production 18O record provided one of the fundamental of 14C (Maunder, Sporer, and Wolf sunspot climate indicators and confirmed and minimum). He also translated the atmospheric quantified the many, extremely rapid, large, 14C calibration curve to oceanic reservoirs. climate changes, first seen in the Younger The atmospheric 14C calibration provided Dryas/Preboreal transition and then found Minze Stuiver via its modeled production modulation is elsewhere in the last glaciation. University of Washington an indication of solar activity over the past The significance of the new technique of 12,000 years. mass spectrometric measurement of 14C using He also used radiocarbon to trace the nuclear accelerators (AMS) was recognized pattern and timing of deep-ocean circulation. by Minze early on. He and Grootes developed 14 Citation by Donald J. Easterbrook His highly precise measurements of the C AMS at the University of Washington with to C ratio in inorganic carbon in sea water applications to the direct dating of pollen, 14C Minze Stuiver was born in Vlagtwedde, greatly advanced understanding of the rates in tree rings, corals, and atmospheric methane. Groningen, The Netherlands. He received of ventilation of the deep sea and established By adding stable isotope mass spectrometry his M.S. degree in experimental nuclear the role of mixing in the southern oceans as an of carbon (13C/12C) and oxygen (18O/16O), physics and mathematics from the University important aspect in the “aging” of seawater. he developed the tools to quantify changes of Groningen in 1953 and his Ph.D. in The gradual change in 14C concentration in in the hydrological and in the carbon cycle, biophysics from the University of Groningen deep waters, going from the North Atlantic related to climatic changes in the past. Mass in 1958. The direction of Minzeʼs career was to the Antarctic circumpolar current and spectrometry of 13C/12C, needed for the 13C strongly influenced by his association with from there into the Indian and the Pacific fractionation correction of 14C concentrations Hessel de Vries, professor of physics at the oceans provided an early demonstration and was developed into an independent tool to University of Groningen. De Vries started him quantification of the deep part of oceanic quantify the anthropogenic input of CO2 on the way of developing and applying state- circulation. into the atmosphere (Suess-effect). In a of-the-art physical measurement techniques Minze was a key player in the all- study spanning the Pacific Coast from Chile to biological and environmental processes important GISP2 ice coring project in to Alaska, Minze was able to quantify the through rigorous mathematical analysis. Greenland. He produced the basic oxygen man-induced change in atmospheric 13C In 1959, Minze went to Yale University isotope measurements that served to define concentrations over time and thus helped as research associate and postdoctoral the abrupt Greenland climatic changes. He quantify the history of the greenhouse gas, research fellow at the Geochonometric was the first to recognize the problem of CO2. His critical analysis also showed the Laboratory, where he developed the Yale 14C seasonality in this record and he also made pitfalls, awaiting those who want to use tree laboratory. In 1962, he became senior research fundamental investigations of the role of the rings for this type of study, by identifying associate and director of the Yale Radiocarbon sun in the Holocene changes recorded in the strong influences such as the juvenile effect, Laboratory. Greenland core. canopy, exposure, and growth rate on the In 1969, he moved to the newly An important part of his research 13C isotopic composition. Together with his founded Quaternary Research Center at the involved meticulous, high-precision dating student Bob Burk, he demonstrated the use University of Washington where he built the of ancient tree rings that allowed calibration of oxygen in cellulose as a paleoclimatic Quaternary Isotope Laboratory and was its of radiocarbon ages to calendar ages that indicator, dependent on latitude, temperature director until his retirement in 1998. Minzeʼs led to the widely used computer program and relative humidity. proportional CO2 counters, placed in a (CALIB) for calibration of radiocarbon dates. Over the past 40 years, Minze Stuiver specially constructed underground laboratory, Minze demonstrated the importance of solar has published 195 papers in radiocarbon made Seattle the world leader in precision influences on terrestrial production rates of geochronology, calibration of radiocarbon and and range of radiocarbon dating. Reviving the radiocarbon in calibrating radiocarbon ages calendar ages, use of radiocarbon as a tracer pioneering work on thermal diffusion isotopic and gave an early indication of significantly to assess the pattern and timing of deep-ocean 14 enrichment of C, initiated by De Vries in higher atmospheric 14C levels during the circulation, and studies of polar ice cores. His the 1950s, Minze set the world record for the glacial to interglacial transitions. His 1993 work was previously honored by the 1983 14 oldest C measurement and contributed to radiocarbon calibration paper is the most-cited Humboldt Award from Germany, the 1994 our knowledge of the timing of early glacial geoscience paper of the 1990s, and he has Pomerance Award of the Archaeological climate variability. Pushing his K-Ar system THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2005 MEDALS & AWARDS Institute of America, and the 2000 AMQUA a descendant of the European “discoverer” used for the determination of time. There Distinguished Career award in Quaternary of New Zealand. And, although I did not are many other applications, ranging from Science. He has produced a body of work realize it at that time, there was a hint of abyssal ocean depths to surface conditions of unrivaled in the field of geochronology and Dutch–American ties. Maarten Schmidt, now the Sun. Because the 14C production in the unequaled in its interdisciplinary applicability. a well-known astronomer at Mt Wilson and upper atmosphere is modulated by the solar Palomar Observatories, was a co-student in wind variations in atmospheric 14C content my astronomy class. And Dutchman Vening occur that can be measured in tree-rings. The Response by Minze Stuiver Meinesz, known for his gravity measurements changes in tree-ring 14C yield a history of The Penrose award is very much in submarines, was a recipient of the Penrose cosmic ray flux modulation by the Sun. Such appreciated. Being in the United States for the award in the nineteen forties. a record is important for estimating past solar past 46 years has been a great experience for The trouble with old age is that there is induced climatic change. Other applications myself as well as spouse Anneke, and I thank too much past to describe. Fortunately, there focus on global ocean circulation (deep-water GSA and all our friends very much for the is radiocarbon dating as a tool for deciphering residence times), carbon transfer between nomination and citation. the past. The methodology is nearly sixty atmosphere, biosphere and oceans (using 14 With only a two-day head start on the years old and has undergone substantial 20th century nuclear bomb C and fossil fuel 14 Great Depression my entry in this world was improvements during those years. Sample ( C free) carbon dioxide signals) and global not very auspicious. And to add insult to size has been reduced from tens of grams deforestation rates. injury my high school years in Almelo, the to milligrams and precision has improved Condensation temperature determines 18 16 Netherlands, were drastically influenced by from centuries to decades. Only marginal the O / O ratio of precipitation. In ice cores a German occupation that lasted 5 years. The improvement has been made in the maximum this ratio mirrors climate change over long 14 school became “home” to a couple of hundred age range due to modern C contamination in time intervals. Ice is not the only medium for 14 soldiers and I remember classes, if they were samples and equipment lines. The C isotope, this type of research, calcium carbonate in given at all, in the public library, a bathhouse, after all, disappears from the scene with a half lakes (marl) and oceans (deep sea sediment and a textile factory. The teachers also had to life of 5730 years and for the maximum age of and corals) as well as tree-ring cellulose can compete with the harsh sounds of airplanes, about 60,000 radiocarbon years less than 0.1 be used. 14 sirens, occasional bombs and German percent of the original C is left to measure. Large programs like GEOSECS with its propaganda on loudspeakers.