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Wallace Broecker

American geochronologist and oceanographer (1931-2019) · United States · On the map · Academics · Died at 87

Wallace "Wally" Smith Broecker was an American geochemist. He was the Newberry Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University, a scientist at Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and a sustainability fellow at Arizona State University.

Wallace Broecker is read about 18 times a day, in 16 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 22 June 2026

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A life in dates

2019Died18 February 20192015Honorary Doctor of Harvard UniversityAward2008BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge AwardAwardBenjamin Franklin MedalAward2007Foreign Member of the Royal SocietyAward2006Crafoord Prize in GeosciencesAward2002Arthur L. Day Prize and LectureshipAward1999Nevada MedalAward1996Blue Planet PrizeAward1995Roger Revelle MedalAward1990H. C. Urey AwardAward1987Vetlesen PrizeAward1986Alexander Agassiz MedalAward1985A.G. Huntsman Award for Excellence in the Marine SciencesAward1979Maurice Ewing MedalAward1931Born29 November 1931

Awards

Honorary Doctor of Harvard University2015
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science2010
Balzan Prize2008
Benjamin Franklin Medal2008
BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award2008
Foreign Member of the Royal Society2007
Crafoord Prize in Geosciences2006
Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement2002
Arthur L. Day Prize and Lectureship2002
Nevada Medal1999
National Medal of Science1996
Blue Planet Prize1996
Roger Revelle Medal1995
H. C. Urey Award1990
Wollaston Medal1990
V. M. Goldschmidt Award1987
Vetlesen Prize1987
Alexander Agassiz Medal1986
A.G. Huntsman Award for Excellence in the Marine Sciences1985
Arthur L. Day Medal1984
Maurice Ewing Medal1979
Fellow of the American Geophysical Union

About this person

He developed the idea of a global "conveyor belt" linking the circulation of the global ocean and made major contributions to the science of the carbon cycle and the use of chemical tracers and isotope dating in oceanography. Broecker popularized the term "global warming". He received the Crafoord Prize and the Vetlesen Prize.

Country
United States
Category
Academics
Type
Academic
Status
Deceased
Dates
Lived 1931 to 2019 · aged 87