Thomas L. Delworth is an atmospheric and oceanic climate scientist and
Senior Scientist at the
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) is a laboratory in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR). The current director is Dr. Venkatachalam Ramaswamy. It is one of se ...
(GFDL), part of
NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...
.
He also serves on the faculty of Oceanic Science at
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
.
Delworth is a fellow of the
American Geophysical Union
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, atmospheric, ocean, hydrologic, space, and planetary scientists and enthusiasts that according to their website includes 130,000 people (not members). AGU's act ...
and received its 2021
Bert Bolin
Bert Rickard Johannes Bolin (; 15 May 1925 – 30 December 2007) was a Swedish meteorologist who served as the first chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), from 1988 to 1997. He was professor of meteorology at Stockh ...
Award for Climate research, for "major contributions in atmosphere ocean interactions through pioneering climate modeling that has advanced the understanding of climate variations, change, and extremes."
He has been recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics for 2021
and multiple previous years for having "demonstrated significant influence through publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade".
Early life and education
Delworth grew up in St. Louis, Missouri.
He received his B.S. in Integrated Science in 1979 from
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
. He earned his MS in meteorology (1983) and his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science (1994) from the
University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
.
Career
In 1984,
Delworth joined the Climate Dynamics Group of the
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) is a laboratory in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR). The current director is Dr. Venkatachalam Ramaswamy. It is one of se ...
(GFDL), part of the Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, in Princeton, NJ. He has served as a Research Meteorologist (1984-2001), a Group Leader (2001-2012) and Supervisory Physical Scientist (2012-).
In addition Delworth has been a lecturer in atmospheric and oceanic sciences at Princeton University since 2008.
Delworth has collaborated with many others including 2021 Nobel Laureate
Syukuro Manabe, who created the first climate models to show the effects of carbon dioxide building up in the atmosphere,
Ronald J. Stouffer,
Michael E. Mann, and
Rong Zhang.
Delworth serves on the Syukuro Manabe Climate Research Award Committee of the American Meteorological Society.
Research
Delworth studies the global climate system through long-term global climate modeling at timescales ranging from seasons to decades
and centuries
with an emphasis on understanding climate variability, change and predictability.
He has helped to develop climate modelling systems including CM2.1
and SPEAR. He has used hierarchies of models to examine climate variability and related changes.
He compares the natural variability of the climate (changes that would occur without human influence) with responses to atmospheric changes in greenhouse gases and aerosols that result from human actions.
Delworth's research focuses on the impact of oceans throughout the global climate system, affecting both oceans and continents worldwide.
Delworth has done key research into the operation of the
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is part of a global thermohaline circulation in the oceans and is the zonally integrated component of surface and deep currents in the Atlantic Ocean. It is characterized by a northward fl ...
(AMOC) and the related
Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV) and
North Atlantic Oscillation
The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a weather phenomenon over the North Atlantic Ocean of fluctuations in the difference of atmospheric pressure at sea level (SLP) between the Icelandic Low and the Azores High. Through fluctuations in the ...
(NAO).
He is credited with "major contributions in atmosphere ocean interactions through pioneering climate modeling that has advanced the understanding of climate variations, change, and extremes."
He has collaborated widely on studies of the role of the ocean in extreme weather such as warming temperatures, drought, tropical cyclones, flooding and winter storms.
Awards and honors
* 2021,
Bert Bolin
Bert Rickard Johannes Bolin (; 15 May 1925 – 30 December 2007) was a Swedish meteorologist who served as the first chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), from 1988 to 1997. He was professor of meteorology at Stockh ...
Award for Climate Research,
American Geophysical Union
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, atmospheric, ocean, hydrologic, space, and planetary scientists and enthusiasts that according to their website includes 130,000 people (not members). AGU's act ...
* 2021, Highly Cited Researcher, Clarivate Analytics
(as well as multiple previous years)
* 2018, Fellow, American Geophysical Union
* 2015, Fellow,
American Meteorological Society
The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is the premier scientific and professional organization in the United States promoting and disseminating information about the Atmospheric sciences, atmospheric, Oceanography, oceanic, and Hydrology, hydr ...
* 2015,
Department of Commerce Gold Medal
The Department of Commerce Gold Medal is the highest honor award of the United States Department of Commerce. Since 1949, the Department of Commerce Gold Medal is presented by the Secretary of Commerce for distinguished performance. The award may b ...
, joint award, "For outstanding research, leading to improved capability to predict seasonal‐to‐decadal variations in regional hydrological conditions and extremes".
* 2008,
NOAA Administrator's Award
The NOAA Administrator's Award is an award of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The award is granted by the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere who serves concurrently as the Administrator of the Natio ...
, joint award, "for outstanding dedication to developing U.S. CCSP Synthesis and Assessment Products integrating climate research for decision support."
* 2005,
Department of Commerce Silver Medal
The Department of Commerce Silver Medal is the second highest of three honor awards of the United States Department of Commerce. Since 1949, the Silver Medal is presented by the Secretary of Commerce for exceptional service. The award may be prese ...
, joint award, "For delivering state-of-the-art model simulations of past, present, and future climate and for enabling open access to the data sets. Results from a recent international workshop support the conclusion that the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory climate model is among the best in the world".
Selected publications
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Delworth, Thomas L.
American meteorologists
Living people
Fellows of the American Geophysical Union
Fellows of the American Meteorological Society
Year of birth missing (living people)
American climatologists