Bernard Wood (geologist) facts for kids

Bernard (Bernie) Wood FRS MAE is a British geologist and a professor at the University of Oxford. He studies how rocks and minerals form deep inside the Earth. He uses special experiments to understand these processes. Professor Wood is very well-known in his field, called experimental petrology. He has won many awards and taught at universities all over the world.

Learning and Degrees

Bernard Wood grew up in London, England. He went to William Ellis School and the Northern Polytechnic. In 1967, he earned his first university degree (BSc) from the University of London.

He continued his studies and earned a master's degree (MSc) from the University of Leeds in 1968. In 1972, he received his PhD in geophysics from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Geophysics is the study of Earth using physics.

His Work Around the World

Professor Wood has taught and done research at many universities. These include places in Europe, North America, and Australia.

After finishing his PhD, he taught at the University of California, Berkeley. He also worked at the University of Manchester in the UK. Later, he was a special researcher at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. He then became a lead scientist at Rockwell Hanford Operations.

In 1982, Professor Wood became a professor at Northwestern University in the United States. He was even in charge of the geology department there from 1985 to 1988.

In 1989, he came back to the UK. He became a professor at the University of Bristol. He also led that department from 1994 to 1997. Another scientist, Jonathan Blundy, said that Professor Wood helped make Bristol a very strong place for Earth sciences. From 1995 to 1996, he was a visiting professor in Germany.

In 2005, he worked as a professor in Australia at Macquarie University.

Since 2007, Professor Wood has been at the University of Oxford. There, he set up a special lab for experimental petrology.

What He Studies

Professor Wood first became known for his work on geothermometry and geobarometry. These are ways to figure out the temperature and pressure deep inside the Earth. He started doing experiments in 1972.

At Northwestern University, he studied how minerals change deep in the Earth's mantle. These changes cause major shifts that scientists can detect.

At Bristol, he became famous for studying trace elements. These are tiny amounts of certain elements found in rocks. With Jonathan Blundy, he created models to understand how these elements move between crystals and melted rock. This helps explain how different types of igneous rocks form. He also developed a model about how the Earth first formed and changed.

At Oxford, he worked on how elements move into sulfides during rock-forming processes. He also worked with Alex Halliday.

The Piston-Cylinder Machine

Professor Wood's labs use a special machine called a piston-cylinder apparatus. This machine can create very high pressures and temperatures. It helps scientists copy the conditions deep inside the Earth.

Working with Fred Wheeler, Professor Wood designed a simpler and cheaper version of this machine. Now, many labs around the world use his design.

Books He Wrote

Professor Wood has also written important books about geology:

• Holloway, J. R., & Wood, B. J. (1989). Simulating the Earth: Experimental Geochemistry. This book is about doing experiments to understand Earth's chemistry.
• Wood, B. J., & Fraser, D. G. (1976). Elementary Thermodynamics for Geologists. This book teaches geologists about how energy works in Earth's systems.

Awards and Honors

Professor Wood is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union. He has received many awards from different scientific groups. These include the Mineralogical Society of America, the Geochemical Society, and the Geological Society of London.

Here are some of his major awards:

• 2018: Elected a Member of the Academia Europaea (MAE)
• 2014: Roebling Medal from the Mineralogical Society of America
• 2013: Harry H. Hess Award
• 2012: Abraham G. Werner Medal, German Mineralogical Society
• 2003: V. M. Goldschmidt Award
• 2001: Became a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union
• 1999: Max Planck Research Prize, Max Planck Society
• 1998: Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)
• 1997: Arthur Holmes Medal
• 1997: Murchison Medal, Geological Society of London
• 1991: Schlumberger Medal, Mineralogical Society
• 1984: MSA Award, Mineralogical Society of America