Pierre Berthier

Pierre Berthier ( born July 3, 1782 Nemours; † August 24, 1861 in Paris) was a French geologist and mineralogist.

Life

He studied at the École polytechnique (PhD 1798). In 1801 he went to the École des Mines, where he became engineer. In 1821 he discovered in the southern French village of Les Baux de Provence, a mineral which was named after the first location and a bauxite aluminum ore is. In 1827, he found and described another, hitherto unknown mineral, which was named by Wilhelm Ritter von Haidinger after him Berthierite. His studies on the phosphates were for the development of agriculture is of great importance, where they are used as fertilizer.

In 1825, Berthier was elected to the French Academy of Sciences. In 1828 he was awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour. Besides, he was particularly immortalized as one of 72 scientists and engineers at the Eiffel Tower.