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From Heat Balances to Climate Change and Global Ecology Jonathan D Advanced Review Mikhail Budyko’s (1920–2001) contributions to Global Climate Science: from heat balances to climate change and global ecology Jonathan D. Oldfield* Edited by Matthias Heymann, Domain Editor, and Mike Hulme, Editor-in-Chief Mikhail Ivanovich Budyko (1920–2001) was a Soviet climatologist perhaps best known in the West for his contribution to understandings of climate change. He acted as director of the Main Geophysical Observatory (named after A.I. Voeikov) in Leningrad (St Petersburg) from 1954 and played an active role in advancing Soviet climate agendas within an international context. Three main stages in the development of Budyko’s work related to climate systems and global ecology (late 1940s-mid 1980s) are identified. The first period encompasses his early efforts devoted to understanding and quantifying the interrelationship between the lower atmosphere and the earth’s surface. This stage of his career was also characterized by a growing interest in regional- and global-scale pro- cesses, and was underpinned by collaborative work involving climatologists, physical geographers, and other cognate scientists. The second stage highlights the broadening of his global interest in order to engage more deeply with both natural and anthropogenic climatic and environmental change. The third stage reflects on the development of his expansive and evolutionary approach to the biosphere, and his insight into the formative role of climate with respect to the functioning of physical and biological processes. Furthermore, this later work also exhibited a strong belief in the ability of humankind to reflect wisely on its growing influence on the physical environment and respond appropriately. © 2016 The Authors. WIREs Climate Change published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. How to cite this article: WIREs Clim Change 2016, 7:682–692. doi: 10.1002/wcc.412 INTRODUCTION in physical climatology and the development of his ideas to encompass global ecology and associated his review explores key areas of work associated work related to climate change. There has been lim- with the Soviet climatologist Mikhail Ivanovich ited attention devoted to the work and activities of T – Budyko (1920 2001) that emerged over the course of Soviet climatologists in the English-language litera- a long and distinguished career. In particular, it exam- ture. Budyko is something of an exception in this ines his substantive contributions to understandings regard due to the translation of a number of his texts into English. Nevertheless, Budyko and his compa- *Correspondence to: j.d.oldfi[email protected] triots remain subdued voices within the broader pub- School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University lished work concerning the science of global climate of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK change. In view of the constraints of space, this review Conflict of interest: The author has declared no conflicts of interest focuses primarily on his main scientific ideas, their his- for this article. torical roots, substance, and development over time. 682 Volume 7, September/October 2016 © 2016 The Authors. WIREs Climate Change published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. WIREs Climate Change Mikhail Budyko’s (1920–2001) contributions to Global Climate Science The introduction to his festschrift, coinciding at various points during his career. In this sense, with his 80th birthday celebrations, suggested that Budyko’s ideas provide a lens through which to Budyko was ‘representative of that rare category of discern the long-held interest in understanding scientist, who comprehends the prospect for the devel- large-scale natural systems within Russian science. In opment of science before other specialists, and antici- particular, he drew from the ideas of individuals pates its priority tasks…’ (Ref 1, p. 4). Allied to this, it such as the biogeochemist and natural scientist stressed that much of his work, including elements of V.I. Vernadsky (1863–1945), climatologist his early initiatives, retained relevance in the contem- A.I. Voeikov (1842–1916), and pedologist porary period. The publication also commemorated V.V. Dokuchaev (1846–1903), and this aspect of his Budyko’s award of the Blue Planet prize by the Asahi work will be examined in more detail below. Glass Foundation, Japan, in 1998.2 This award, dat- ing back to the 1992 Rio Conference on Environment and Development, is given to individuals considered BACKGROUND to have made outstanding contributions toward sol- ving global environmental issues. In Budyko’s case, Budyko spent much of his academic career in Lenin- the award recognized his ‘establishment of physical grad (contemporary St Petersburg). He studied at climatology and his quantitative analysis of climate Leningrad Polytechnical Institute graduating from change.’ There is little doubt that Budyko made signifi- the engineering and physics faculty in 1942. He then cant contributions to both theoretical and applied moved to the Voeikov Main Geophysical Observa- branches of climate science. In addition, he also tory (GGO) where he worked on his postgraduate demonstrated an ability to be ‘creative’ in his Candidate of Science (approximately equivalent to a approach to scientific method allowing him to reveal PhD) on military meteorology, which he subse- insights into the workings of complex natural systems quently defended in 1944 at the relatively early age (Ref 3, p. 122 and Ref 4, p. 113). His approach was of 24 (Ref 4, p. 113). From this point on, his work both quantitative and interdisciplinary in nature and and intellectual interests became more focused he worked across a range of subdisciplinary areas around interdisciplinary concerns of the relationship including hydrology, geophysics, and physical geogra- between the lower atmosphere and natural processes phy in order to strengthen the foundations of a quanti- at the earth’s surface. As will be highlighted below, tative and physical climatology (e.g., Ref 5, p. 179). this interest provided the basis for his later initiatives For the purposes of this paper, three main stages regarding the global climate system and the earth’s in the development of his work are identified. The first biosphere. In terms of his overall career, Budyko period encompasses his early work devoted to under- remained at the GGO for the next 30 years, becom- standing and quantifying the interrelationship ing assistant director in 1951 and director in 1954, a between the lower atmosphere and the earth’s surface. position he would hold until 1972. He subsequently This stage of his career was also characterized by a acted as chair of the Soviet Scientific Council for the growing interest in regional- and global-scale pro- Problem of Climate and Agro-Climatic Resources. cesses, and was underpinned by collaborative work From the mid-1970s, he took up a new position lead- involving climatologists, physical geographers, and ing work on climate change at the State Hydrological other cognate scientists. The second stage highlights Institute. And, from 1989 he became involved with the broadening of his global interest in order to the Research Centre for Interdisciplinary Coopera- engage more deeply with both natural and anthropo- tion, Academy of Sciences (INENKO). Budyko genic climatic and environmental change. The third would also pick up a range of domestic and foreign stage reflects on the development of his expansive and honors during the course of his career including the evolutionary approach to the biosphere, and his Lenin Prize (1958) and the Gold Medal of the World insight into the formative role of climate with respect Meteorological Organization (WMO) (1987). He to the functioning of physical and biological pro- was inducted as a full member into the Russian cesses. Furthermore, this later work also exhibited a Academy of Sciences in 1992. strong belief in the ability of humankind to reflect As noted, Budyko’s name is relatively well- wisely on its growing influence on the physical envi- known within the Anglo-US context due to the signif- ronment and respond appropriately. Budyko’s work icant number of his monographs, edited books and demonstrated an awareness of developments in the papers translated into the English language. Further- Western literature and yet was also characterized by more, he featured on the international stage through clear links with prerevolutionary Russian science, and conference attendance and his participation in the elements of this intellectual legacy surfaced strongly activities of organizations such as the WMO. Budyko Volume 7, September/October 2016 © 2016 The Authors. WIREs Climate Change published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 683 Advanced Review wires.wiley.com/climatechange was involved with a joint US–USSR Agreement on some truth in the hyperbole. The fact that weather Cooperation in the field of Environmental Protection and climate concerns were intimately linked to which emerged in 1972 and he also provided input broader economic considerations (e.g., Ref 11, p. 7), to the scientific work of the Intergovernmental Panel and most obviously in the case of agricultural output, on Climate Change (IPCC). The specifics of these ensured state resources were channeled toward activities will be returned to at the end of the paper. improving the existing system. For example, the Main Observatory was able to focus more of its attention on research activities during the 1920s and RUSSIAN AND SOVIET CLIMATE 1930s as administrative functions were absorbed by SCIENCE newly created entities such as the Hydrometeorologi- cal Committee and Central Weather Bureau (Ref 12, Before exploring Budyko’s work in more detail, it is p. 2). In general, the early- to mid-Soviet period wit- useful to reflect upon the institutional and intellectual nessed the expansion of the physical monitoring sys- traditions within which he operated because they tem and the focused development of meteorological provide insight into certain aspects of his overarching and hydrometeorological activities (e.g., Ref 13, scientific approach and agenda.
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