Werner Stumm (1924 – 14 April 1999) was a Swiss

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

. After earning his doctorate in

inorganic chemistry Inorganic chemistry deals with chemical synthesis, synthesis and behavior of inorganic compound, inorganic and organometallic chemistry, organometallic compounds. This field covers chemical compounds that are not carbon-based, which are the subj ...

at the University of

Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

in 1952 he moved to the U.S. where he was active as a

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

until 1969. From 1970 until 1992 he was head of the Swiss Federal Water Resources Centre EAWAG. Werner Stumm was an active researcher in several aspects of

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 ...

. During the early part of his career he was influenced by the ideas of

Lars Gunnar Sillén Lars is a common male name in Scandinavian countries. Origin ''Lars'' means "from the city of Laurentum". Lars is derived from the Latin name Laurentius, which means "from Laurentum" or "crowned with laurel", and is therefore related to the na ...

and Robert Garrels regarding aqueous chemical equilibria. He developed models where the ideas by Sillén regarding equilibria were combined with improved descriptions of kinetically controlled reactions (i.e. slow reactions that do not reach equilibrium, e.g.

weathering Weathering is the deterioration of rocks, soils and minerals (as well as wood and artificial materials) through contact with water, atmospheric gases, sunlight, and biological organisms. It occurs '' in situ'' (on-site, with little or no move ...

). He in particular made contributions to the knowledge of the reactions at the interface of

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): Mi ...

s and water. In his more than 200 scientific articles he showed, among other things, that the rate by which a

weathers depends on the surface

charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...

, which in turn is controlled by factors such as pH and the chemical composition of aqueous solutions. Stumm is also known for writing the influential book ''Aquatic chemistry'', together with James J. Morgan, and several other books on the interplay between

surfaces and water. The

European Association of Geochemistry The European Association of Geochemistry (EAG) is a pan-European organization founded to promotes geochemical research. The EAG organizes conferences, meetings and educational courses for geochemists in Europe, including the Goldschmidt Conference w ...

quinquennially awards a Science Innovation Award medal named in his honour for work in low-temperature and surface geochemistry.

Prizes and awards

Albert Einstein World Award of Science The Albert Einstein World Award for Science is an annual award given by the World Cultural Council "as a means of recognition and encouragement for scientific and technological research and development", with special consideration for researche ...

from the

World Cultural Council The World Cultural Council is an international organization whose goals are to promote cultural values, goodwill and philanthropy among individuals. The organization founded in 1982 and based in Mexico, has held a yearly award ceremony since 198 ...

(1985) *

Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement is an annual award for environmental science, environmental health, and energy. Tyler Laureates receive a $250,000 cash prize and a medallion. The prize is administered by the University of Southern Ca ...

(1986) *''Teknologie hedersdoktor (doctor honoris causa)

Royal Institute of Technology KTH Royal Institute of Technology (), abbreviated KTH, is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH conducts research and education in engineering and technology and is Sweden's largest technical university. Since 2018, KTH consist ...

(Sweden) (1987)''.KTH: Hedersdoktorer 1944-2008
, accessed 13 April 2009 *

Marcel Benoist Prize The Marcel Benoist Prize, offered by the Marcel Benoist Foundation, is a monetary prize that has been offered annually since 1920 to a scientist of Swiss nationality or residency who has made the most useful scientific discovery. Emphasis is pl ...

(1990) *'' V. M. Goldschmidt Award'' (1998) *''

Stockholm Water Prize The Stockholm Water Prize is an annual award that recognizes outstanding achievements in water related activities. Over the past three decades, Stockholm Water Prize Laureates have come from across the world and represented a wide range of profes ...

'' (1999)

Bibliography (selection of monographs)

*''Aquatic chemistry'', together with James J. Morgan (1970, Wiley; 3rd revised edition 1996) *''Aquatic surface chemistry: chemical processes at the particle-water interface'' (1987, Wiley) *''Aquatic chemical kinetics: reaction rates of processes in natural waters'' (1990, Wiley)

Sources

Morgan, J. J. ''Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta'', 1999, ''63(19/20)'', viii-x

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stumm, Werner 1924 births 1999 deaths Albert Einstein World Award of Science Laureates Swiss chemists Academic staff of ETH Zurich Recipients of the V. M. Goldschmidt Award