Brian Harold Mason
Encyclopedia
Brian Harold Mason was a New Zealand
born geochemist and mineralogist who was one of the pioneers in the study of meteorites.
Mason has played a leading part in understanding the nature of the solar system
through his studies of meteorites and lunar
rocks.
Mason has also examined and classified thousands of meteorites collected from Antarctica.
, Dunedin
, in 1917 and was brought up in Christchurch
, New Zealand
. He studied at Christchurch Boys' High School
and geology
and chemistry
at Canterbury University College. In 1943, he completed a PhD in geochemistry
at the University of Stockholm under Victor Goldschmidt
.
Mason returned to Christchurch where he was appointed lecture of Geology at Canterbury University College. He tough there for two years. In 1947, Mason was appointed Professor of mineralogy at University of Indiana where he was based for rest of his life. He was a curator of mineralogy at both the American Museum of Natural History
, New York, and the Smithsonian Institution
, Washington, DC.
Two minerals have been named after Brian. Brianite
is a phosphate
mineral and Stenhuggarite (from the Swedish ‘stenhuggar’ – ‘mason’) is a rare iron-antimony
mineral. Asteroid
12926 Brianmason
is also named in his honor.
Mason won the Leonard Medal
from the Meteoritical Society
in 1972 and the Roebling Medal
from the Mineralogical Society of America
in 1993.
Mason passed on Dec. 3, 2009 from renal failure
. He was survived by his stepson, Frank W. Turner, who lived with Dr. Mason in Chevy Chase, MD.
Mason's third wife, Margarita C. Babb, and mother of Frank Turner, passed on February 3, 2009 due to complications from multiple myeloma (a blood cancer). Mason and Margarita were married for 15 years.
Dr. Mason was married two other times, first to Anne Marie Linn and then to Virginia Powell; both marriages ended in divorce. He had a son, George, with his second wife. George died in a mountain climbing accident in 1981 at the age of 20.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
born geochemist and mineralogist who was one of the pioneers in the study of meteorites.
Mason has played a leading part in understanding the nature of the solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
through his studies of meteorites and lunar
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
rocks.
Mason has also examined and classified thousands of meteorites collected from Antarctica.
Life
Mason was born in Port ChalmersPort Chalmers
Port Chalmers is a suburb and the main port of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand, with a population of 3,000. Port Chalmers lies ten kilometres inside Otago Harbour, some 15 kilometres northeast from Dunedin's city centre....
, Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, in 1917 and was brought up in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. He studied at Christchurch Boys' High School
Christchurch Boys' High School
Christchurch Boys' High School is a single sex state secondary school in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is situated on a 12 hectare site between the suburbs of Riccarton and Fendalton, 4 kilometres to the west of central Christchurch. The school also provides boarding facilities for 130 boys, in a...
and geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
at Canterbury University College. In 1943, he completed a PhD in geochemistry
Geochemistry
The field of geochemistry involves study of the chemical composition of the Earth and other planets, chemical processes and reactions that govern the composition of rocks, water, and soils, and the cycles of matter and energy that transport the Earth's chemical components in time and space, and...
at the University of Stockholm under Victor Goldschmidt
Victor Goldschmidt
Victor Moritz Goldschmidt was a mineralogist considered to be the founder of modern geochemistry and crystal chemistry, developer of the Goldschmidt Classification of elements.-Early life & career:Goldschmidt was born in Zürich...
.
Mason returned to Christchurch where he was appointed lecture of Geology at Canterbury University College. He tough there for two years. In 1947, Mason was appointed Professor of mineralogy at University of Indiana where he was based for rest of his life. He was a curator of mineralogy at both the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
, New York, and the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, Washington, DC.
Two minerals have been named after Brian. Brianite
Brianite
Brianite is a phosphate mineral with the chemical formula Na2CaMg2. It was first identified in an iron meteorite. This mineral is named after Brian Harold Mason, a pioneer in meteoritics....
is a phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
mineral and Stenhuggarite (from the Swedish ‘stenhuggar’ – ‘mason’) is a rare iron-antimony
Antimony
Antimony is a toxic chemical element with the symbol Sb and an atomic number of 51. A lustrous grey metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite...
mineral. Asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
12926 Brianmason
12926 Brianmason
12926 Brianmason is a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 27, 1999 by J. L. Schiff and C. J. Schiff at Takapuna. This asteroid is named in honor of meteoriticist Brian Harold Mason.- External links :*...
is also named in his honor.
Mason won the Leonard Medal
Leonard Medal
The Leonard Medal honors outstanding contributions to the science of meteoritics and closely allied fields. It is awarded by the Meteoritical Society. It was established in 1962 to honor the first President of the Society, Frederick C. Leonard....
from the Meteoritical Society
Meteoritical Society
The Meteoritical Society is a non-profit scholarly organization founded in 1933 to promote research and education in planetary science with emphasis on studies of meteorites and other extraterrestrial materials that further our understanding of the origin and history of the solar system.The...
in 1972 and the Roebling Medal
Roebling Medal
The Roebling Medal is the highest award of the Mineralogical Society of America for scientific eminence as represented primarily by scientific publication of outstanding original research in mineralogy. The award is named for Colonel Washington A. Roebling who was an engineer, bridge builder,...
from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mineralogical Society of America
The Mineralogical Society of America is a scientific membership organization. MSA was founded in 1919 for the advancement of mineralogy, crystallography, geochemistry, and petrology, and promotion of their uses in other sciences, industry, and the arts...
in 1993.
Mason passed on Dec. 3, 2009 from renal failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
. He was survived by his stepson, Frank W. Turner, who lived with Dr. Mason in Chevy Chase, MD.
Mason's third wife, Margarita C. Babb, and mother of Frank Turner, passed on February 3, 2009 due to complications from multiple myeloma (a blood cancer). Mason and Margarita were married for 15 years.
Dr. Mason was married two other times, first to Anne Marie Linn and then to Virginia Powell; both marriages ended in divorce. He had a son, George, with his second wife. George died in a mountain climbing accident in 1981 at the age of 20.
Works
- The literature of geology, American Museum of Natural History, 1953
- Meteorites, Wiley, 1962
- The lunar rocks, Authors Brian Harold Mason, William G. Melson, Wiley-Interscience, 1970, ISBN 9780471575306
- Handbook of elemental abundances in meteorites, Editor Brian Harold Mason, Gordon and Breach, 1971
- Principles of Geochemistry Editor Carleton B. Moore, Wiley, 1982, ISBN 9780471575221
- Victor Moritz Goldschmidt: father of modern geochemistry, Geochemical Society, 1992, ISBN 9780941809030