1888-1947

Swiss-born Norwegian chemist and mineralogist known as the father of modern geochemistry. Goldschmidt's research was largely devoted to the earth's chemical composition. He developed a model of Earth in which elemental distribution was a function of charge and size. Using x-ray crystallography he determined the structures of over 200 compounds and developed the first tables of ionic radii. Goldschmidt's Law (1929), based on these findings, allowed him to predict the presence of elements in particular minerals.