Paul Werner Gast
Encyclopedia
Paul Werner Gast was an American
geochemist and geologist
.
He was born in Chicago
, and attended Wheaton College, Illinois from whence he graduated in 1952. He earned a Ph.D.
from Columbia University
in 1957. After graduation he taught at the University of Minnesota
until 1965 when he became professor of geology at Columbia.
In 1969 Paul Gast assumed leadership of the geo-science management of the Manned Spacecraft Center in preparation for Apollo mission sample return from the Moon
. He served as chief scientist of the Apollo Lunar Science Staff. He was one of the science consultant group known unofficially as the Four Horsemen
, along with Jim Arnold, Bob Walker and Gerry Wasserburg.
He died at the age of 43, being survived by his wife, Joyce Rinehart, and two sons and a daughter. During his career he pioneered the study of rare earth elements in examining the crust, mantle, and interior of the planet. He led the development of the use of rubidium-strontium
and uranium-lead radiometric dating
methods for rocks, particularly for samples returned from the Moon. His examinations of trace elements resulted in new understands of how volcanic fluids originate.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
geochemist and geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
.
He was born in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and attended Wheaton College, Illinois from whence he graduated in 1952. He earned a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1957. After graduation he taught at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
until 1965 when he became professor of geology at Columbia.
In 1969 Paul Gast assumed leadership of the geo-science management of the Manned Spacecraft Center in preparation for Apollo mission sample return from the Moon
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...
. He served as chief scientist of the Apollo Lunar Science Staff. He was one of the science consultant group known unofficially as the Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen
The Four Horsemen usually refers to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who are the forces of man's destruction as described in the Christian Bible in chapter six of the Book of Revelation.Other uses:- Entertainment :...
, along with Jim Arnold, Bob Walker and Gerry Wasserburg.
He died at the age of 43, being survived by his wife, Joyce Rinehart, and two sons and a daughter. During his career he pioneered the study of rare earth elements in examining the crust, mantle, and interior of the planet. He led the development of the use of rubidium-strontium
Rubidium-strontium dating
The rubidium-strontium dating method is a radiometric dating technique that geologists use to determine the age of rocks.Development of this process was aided by Fritz Strassmann, who later went on to discover nuclear fission with Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner....
and uranium-lead radiometric dating
Radiometric dating
Radiometric dating is a technique used to date materials such as rocks, usually based on a comparison between the observed abundance of a naturally occurring radioactive isotope and its decay products, using known decay rates...
methods for rocks, particularly for samples returned from the Moon. His examinations of trace elements resulted in new understands of how volcanic fluids originate.
Awards and honors
- Geochemistry Fellow of the Geochemical Society.
- Victor Moritz Goldschmidt Award of the Geochemical Society, 1972.
- James Furman Kemp medal, 1973.
- Space Science Award, 1973.
- Geochemical society named their Paul W. Gast Lecture Series after him.
- The publication "Trace Elements in Igneous Petrology" was published in his memory.
- Dorsum GastDorsum GastDorsum Gast is a wrinkle ridge at in Mare Serenitatis on the Moon. It is 60 km long and was named after Paul Werner Gast in 1973....
, a wrinkle ridge on the MoonMoonThe 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...
, is named after him.