Clair Cameron Patterson was an American geochemist. By using lead isotopic data from the Canyon Diablo meteorite, Patterson calculated the age of the Earth:4.55 billion years, a figure far more accurate than those suggested at the time, and this figure has remained largely unchallenged since 1956. Patterson had first encountered the lead contamination in the late 1940s. His work on this subject led to a total re-evaluation of the growth in industrial lead concentrations in the atmosphere and the human body, and his subsequent campaigning was seminal in the banning of tetraethyllead in gasoline. This paper introduces Patterson's life experiences and scientific achievements, especially the process of his scientific exploration.

Clair Cameron Patterson  /  earth's age  /  lead contamination