Ian Frederick Allison
AO AAM
Aam is a Hamlet (place), hamlet in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Gelderland. It is located in the municipality of Overbetuwe, about 1 km east of the town of Elst (Overbetuwe), Elst.''ANWB Topografische Atlas Nederland'', Topografische ...
FAA is an internationally recognised Australian
glaciologist and climate scientist. He was elected a Fellow of the
Australian Academy of Science in 2016 in recognition of his work in understanding the role of "sea ice and Antarctica in the global climate system".
Career and impact
Allison received his MSc and PhD both in Meteorology from the
University of Melbourne in 1970 and 1987 respectively.
He worked at the
Australian Antarctic Division for 42 years.
His research focuses on the global climate system and in particular the role of Antarctica in the world's climate.
His research spans disciplines including ice shelf-ocean interaction, meteorology, glaciology and oceanography.
Allison led or participated in 25 expeditions to Antarctica,
and during this time he conducted foundational research on Antarctic sea ice.
His research documented the seasonal change in sea ice driven by its interaction with the water column and the atmosphere.
Allison was a lead author of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about climate change caused by human activities. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) a ...
(IPCC) Second, Fourth and Fifth Assessment Reports. He also co-chaired the Joint Committee for the
International Polar Year 2007-2008.
Awards and honours
Allison was awarded the
Australian Antarctic Medal
The Australian Antarctic Medal (stylised as Post-nominal letters, post-nominal), originally designated the Antarctic Medal until 18 December 1997, is a meritorious service award of the Australian honours and awards system, instituted by Letter ...
in 1988,
was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2014 "For distinguished service to the environment as a glaciologist, to furthering international understanding of the science of the Antarctic region, and to climate research"
and was elected a
Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2016.
He was awarded Tasmanian Senior Australian of the Year in 2016.
on the west side of
Heard Island is named in his honour.
References