Is radiochemistry a forgotten component of atmospheric chemistry?
A perspective on Edward Martell’s career William R. Stockwell, DRI, Reno, NV; and J. M. Lewis In the late 1950s through the early 1960’s radiochemistry emerged as a viable and potentially vital component of research in atmospheric chemistry. Edward Martell, a member of the original group of scientists to join NCAR in 1961, assumed a leadership role in this field. We examine the rise and fall of radiochemistry in atmospheric science by following the work and career of Martell. To set the stage for the historical study we trace the roots of radiochemistry from the period prior to World War II, when naturally occurring processes were the source of atmospheric radioactivity, and into the period of nuclear weaponry and fallout. Willard Libby was central to the development of atmospheric radiochemistry and he was Martell’s mentor at the University of Chicago in the late 1940’s through early 1950s. We briefly summarize Libby’s work and Martell’s adherence to and deviation from the philosophy
