Konrad Bates Krauskopf (November 30, 1910 – May 4, 2003) was an American

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...

, a pioneer in

geochemistry Geochemistry is the science that uses the tools and principles of chemistry to explain the mechanisms behind major geological systems such as the Earth's crust and its oceans. The realm of geochemistry extends beyond the Earth, encompassing the e ...

, noted for his work in

radioactive waste disposal Radioactive waste disposal may refer to: *High-level radioactive waste management * Low-level waste disposal *Ocean disposal of radioactive waste **Ocean floor disposal *Deep borehole disposal *Deep geological repository See also * Radioactive wast ...

. Krauskopf led expeditions to Mexico, Norway, the Sierra and the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

. Krauskopf was a geology professor at

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

, and a member of the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

. Krauskopf was born in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

and attended East Side High School in Madison. He earned his A.B. in chemistry at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

in 1931. He earned his PhD at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

in 1934, and joined the faculty at Stanford University in 1939, where he served as professor until 1976, then professor emeritus until his death. He was an elected member of the

and

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

, served as president of the

American Geological Institute The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is a nonprofit federation of about 50 geoscientific and professional organizations that represents geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists. The organization was founded in 1948. The name of ...

(1964),

Geological Society of America The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. History The society was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchco ...

(1967), and the

Geochemical Society The Geochemical Society is a nonprofit scientific organization founded to encourage the application of chemistry to solve problems involving geology and cosmology. The society promotes understanding of geochemistry through the annual Goldschmidt Co ...

(1970). He was the recipient of several awards including the Arthur L. Day Medal, V. M. Goldschmidt Award,

American Geosciences Institute The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is a nonprofit federation of about 50 geoscientific and professional organizations that represents geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists. The organization was founded in 1948. The name of ...

Medal in Memory of Ian Campbell, Distinguished Public Service Award of the

Mineralogical Society of America The Mineralogical Society of America (MSA) 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, industr ...

and the Legendary Geoscientist Award from the American Geological Institute. He was a member of the

Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters ( no, Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi, DNVA) is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway. Its purpose is to support the advancement of science and scholarship in Norway. History The Royal Frederick Unive ...

from 1971. He died in 2003 at his Stanford home.

References

External links

Oral History with Konrad Krauskopf
Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program, 1987. {{DEFAULTSORT:Krauskopf, Konrad Bates 1910 births 2003 deaths Scientists from Madison, Wisconsin American geochemists University of California, Berkeley alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Engineering alumni Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Stanford University faculty Members of the American Philosophical Society Presidents of the Geological Society of America Members of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters Presidents of the Geochemical Society Recipients of the V. M. Goldschmidt Award