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Werner Stumm
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<p>Werner Stumm (1924 – 14 April 1999) was a Swiss <a href="/facts/Chemist/N09K7Bdm">chemist</a>. After earning his doctorate in <a href="/facts/Inorganic_chemistry/ErD6ypnb">inorganic chemistry</a> at the University of <a href="/facts/Z%C3%BCrich/dXpgq7df">Zürich</a> in 1952 he moved to the U.S. where he was active as a <a href="/facts/Professor/JNqot4sU">professor</a> at <a href="/facts/Harvard_University/Lhy9L1cx">Harvard University</a> until 1969. From 1970 until 1992 he was head of the Swiss Federal Water Resources Centre <a href="/facts/EAWAG/BHA7b95R">EAWAG</a>. </p><p>Werner Stumm was an active researcher in several aspects of <a href="/facts/Geochemistry/05094gDu">geochemistry</a>. During the early part of his career he was influenced by the ideas of Lars Gunnar Sillén and <a href="/facts/Robert_Garrels/7F3IMPyF">Robert Garrels</a> regarding aqueous chemical equilibria. He developed models where the ideas by Sillén regarding <a href="/facts/Chemical_equilibrium/y8ToYXHp">equilibria</a> were combined with improved descriptions of <a href="/facts/Kinetics_(chemistry)/D8vyX4aE">kinetically controlled</a> reactions (i.e. slow reactions that do not reach equilibrium, e.g. <a href="/facts/Weathering/uSYGlv0H">weathering</a>). He in particular made contributions to the knowledge of the reactions at the <a href="/facts/Interface_(chemistry)/HnIAndVA">interface</a> of <a href="/facts/Mineral/LkUFbNmv">minerals</a> and water. In his more than 200 scientific articles he showed, among other things, that the rate by which a <a href="/facts/Mineral/LkUFbNmv">mineral</a> weathers depends on the surface <a href="/facts/Charge_(chemistry)/wrbwhF3z">charge</a>, which in turn is controlled by factors such as <a href="/facts/PH/RnSv8D7y">pH</a> and the chemical composition of aqueous solutions. </p><p>Stumm is also known for writing the influential book <i>Aquatic chemistry</i>, together with James J. Morgan, and several other books on the interplay between <a href="/facts/Mineral/LkUFbNmv">mineral</a> surfaces and water. </p><p>The <a href="/facts/European_Association_of_Geochemistry/zflLY3fW">European Association of Geochemistry</a> quinquennially awards a <a href="/facts/Science_Innovation_Award/jv427Qm4">Science Innovation Award</a> medal named in his honour for work in low-temperature and surface geochemistry. </p>