2002 Rossby Medal awarded for studies on clouds, aerosols, climate system
V. Ramanathan, professor of climate and atmospheric sciences at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, has been selected to receive the prestigious 2002 Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal from the American Meteorological Society (AMS).
Ramanathan is honored "for his studies on the radiative roles of clouds, aerosols, and key gases in the earth’s climate system."
The Rossby Research Medal is the highest honor that the AMS can bestow upon an atmospheric scientist. The award is presented annually for outstanding contributions to the understanding of the structure or behavior of the atmosphere. The medal is named in honor of Carl-Gustaf Rossby, widely known in the meteorological community for his contributions to the basic understanding of the dynamics and thermodynamics of the atmosphere.
Ramanathan received the award on Jan. 16 at the AMS’s 82nd annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.
Ramanathan, co-chief scientist of the international Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX), is broadly recognized for his research on the effects of greenhouse gases and the role of cloud and water vapor on radiative feedbacks in climate change and in regulating ocean temperatures. He published the first study demonstrating the strong greenhouse effect of chlorofluorocarbons in 1975. Throughout his distinguished career he has published numerous articles and books and has participated in several major international research studies on the climate effects of trace gases. His research has earned awards from organizations around the world, including the Buys Ballot Medal from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Science and the Volvo Environment Prize.
As co-chief scientist of INDOEX, Ramanathan led (with Scripps Professor Paul Crutzen) a project designed to assess the nature and magnitude of the chemical pollution over the tropical Indian Ocean and to study the significance of the region’s aerosols.
The $25 million project, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and funded in part by NASA, the Department of Energy, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, focused on the Indian Ocean region in a "multiplatform" analysis approach of satellites, aircraft, ships, surface stations, and balloons. INDOEX involved more than 150 scientists from Austria, France, Germany, India, Maldives, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States.
A native of Madras, India, Ramanathan earned a bachelor’s degree at Annamalai University in India; a master’s degree at the Indian Institute of Science; and a Ph.D. at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
The AMS, founded in 1919, promotes the development and dissemination of information on atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic sciences. The society publishes nine well-respected scientific journals, sponsors scientific conferences, and supports public education programs across the country. Additional information: http://www.ametsoc.org/ams
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