Richard Lawrence Edwards | |
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| Other names | Larry Edwards, R. Lawrence Edwards |
| Alma mater | California Institute of Technology |
| Known for | Improving uranium-thorium dating techniques |
| Awards | Arthur L. Day Prize and Lectureship of the National Academy of Sciences Fellow National Academy of Sciences National Medal of Science |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geochemical Principles, Isotope Geology, Uranium–thorium dating |
| Thesis | High Precision Thorium-230 Ages of Corals and the Timing of Sea Level Fluctuations in the Late Quaternary (1988) |
| Doctoral advisor | Gerald J. Wasserburg |
| Website | https://cse.umn.edu/esci/r-lawrence-edwards |
Richard Lawrence "Larry" Edwards is an Americangeochemist and Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Regents Professor at theUniversity of Minnesota.[1] He is one of the most cited and respected geochemists in the world,[2] and is well-known for his contributions to modernizing theuranium-thorium (Th-230) radiometric dating technique.[2]
Edwards earned hisPh.D from theCalifornia Institute of Technology in 1988 after studying underGerald J. Wasserburg.[3] His thesis, entitledHigh Precision Thorium-230 Ages of Corals and the Timing of Sea Level Fluctuations in the Late Quaternary, discusses the usage of Th-230 dating in the examination of corals atSanto andMalekula Islands,Vanuatu.[3]
Edwards has made notable contributions toanthropology through dating a jawbone at 100000 years old, suggesting that modern humans had inhabited the area of China where the bone was found earlier than previously thought.[4] His collaborations with geochemist Hai Cheng have led to the largest number of environmental science papers published inNature Index journals by a pair of geochemists.[5]
On January 3rd, 2025, Dr. Edwards received the National Medal of Science.[6]
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