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JULE GREGORY CHARNEY Pioneer of Atmospheric Dynamics MIT Professor Jule Charney Was an International Leader in the Field of Atmospheric Science

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JULE GREGORY CHARNEY Pioneer of Atmospheric Dynamics MIT Professor Jule Charney Was an International Leader in the Field of Atmospheric Science 48” x 60” (1917–1981) JULE GREGORY CHARNEY Pioneer of Atmospheric Dynamics MIT professor Jule Charney was an international leader in the field of atmospheric science. His “quasi- geostrophic” equations allowed large-scale atmospheric circulations to be described mathematically and, using early computers, enabled him to produce the first numerical weather predictions. Throughout his career, Charney made fundamental contributions to the theories of weather systems, hydrodynamical instability, atmospheric wave propagation, hurricanes, drought, and atmospheric blocking, as well as ocean currents. As an active founder of many meteorology-related organizations and initiatives, Charney encouraged scientific collaboration across disciplines and borders. After all, as he was quick to point out, the atmosphere is a single, global system. “Jule Charney, more than any other living figure, has guided the postwar evolution of modern meteorology.” Credit: Courtesy MIT Museum —The American Geophysical Union 1976 William Bowie Medal citation Charney played a key role in the establishment of many critical weather-related initiatives, such as the Global Atmospheric Research Program, an observational program improving numerical weather prediction, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. One of Charney’s last contributions was a pioneering study on the The equations above make up the quasi-geostrophic theory of atmospheric connection between CO2 and climate change, conducted for the motions introduced by Charney in a 1948 paper. This theory became the National Academy of Sciences. foundation of modern dynamical meteorology and oceanography. Credit: Courtesy MIT Museum In the early 1950s, Charney led the theoretical Charismatic and open-minded, meteorology group at the Institute for Advanced Charney had a knack for bringing Study in New Jersey, demonstrating that people together. Soon after he computer-driven calculations using quasi- joined MIT as a professor in geostrophic theory could aid in weather 1956, he created and advertised forecasting. Charney (far left) poses next to an informal series of talks on future MIT colleague, Norman Phillips, along geophysical fluid dynamics. When applying to doctoral programs, Charney with G. Lewis, N. Gilbarg, and G.W. Platzman, The talks would continue for considered aeronautics, but ultimately enrolled against the backdrop of the institute’s computer. 22 years, attracting experts from in meteorology at the University of California at Credit: Photograph by Joseph Smagorinsky, courtesy AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives, gift of John M. Lewis around New England in the fields Los Angeles. He entered the field at an auspicious of meteorology, oceanography, time. Research during World War II led to a surge Charney’s doctoral research explained the origin of mid-latitude weather geophysics, and applied of scientific and technological advances. Charney systems and the mechanism known as “baroclinic instability” that mathematics. Above, Henry later noted that he was lucky to be mentored dictates their size, structure, and growth rate. With this insight, Charney Stommel’s announcement for by pioneers Carl-Gustav Rossby, Jacob Bjerknes, had identified a ubiquitous phenomenon in all rotating, stratified fluids, one of the fortnightly seminars and John von Neumann “at a young and including Earth’s atmosphere and oceans, as well as other planetary started by Charney. impressionable age.” atmospheres. Credit: Courtesy of J. Young Credit: Courtesy of Nora Rosenbaum Credit: NOAA NESDIS Environmental Visualization Laboratory “The motion of large-scale atmospheric disturbances is governed by the laws of conservation of potential The work of Charney’s group at the Institute for Advanced Study was the dawn of numerical temperature and absolute potential vorticity, weather prediction. In 1953, Charney produced the first computer-generated prediction of and by the conditions that the horizontal velocity be cyclogenesis. Credit: Charney, J. G. (1954) Numerical Prediction of Cyclogenesis, PNAS quasi-geostrophic and the pressure quasi-hydrostatic.” During his quarter century at MIT, Charney mentored countless students and made profound, lasting impacts on the field through groundbreaking —From “On the Scale of Atmospheric Motions” (1948) Geofysiske Publikasjoner research on such diverse topics as the stability of atmospheric and oceanic flows, the formation and evolution of weather systems and hurricanes, oceanic boundary currents, how planetary waves extend up into the stratosphere, the formation of deserts, and how westerly winds can flip between zonal and wavy patterns. Background image credit: Charney, J. G. (1954) Numerical Prediction of Cyclogenesis, PNAS Credit: katsrcool, CC BY 2.0 1946: Received his Ph.D. 1961-62: Published papers at UCLA for “Dynamics of governing flow stability and 1954: Helped create the Joint 1971-73: Published papers on Long Waves in a Baroclinic planetary wave propagation. Numerical Weather Prediction “geostrophic turbulence” and Westerly Current.” Unit, a collaboration between 1963: Awarded the Symons “desertification.” 1946: Worked at U. Chicago the U.S. Weather Bureau, Air Gold Medal of the Royal 1976: Awarded the Bowie 1981: Even while battling with Carl-Gustav Rossby. Force, and Navy. Meteorological Society. Medal of the AGU for cancer, Charney produced 1947-48: Published papers 1955: Helped establish NOAA’s 1964: Received the AMS “contributions to funda- important research, on baroclinic instability and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research mental geophysics and co-authoring articles on 1917: Born January 1 to quasi-geostrophic theory. Laboratory. Medal. Elected to the National for unselfish cooperation monsoons and the oceanic Russian immigrants Ely 1938: Earned a bachelor’s Academy of Sciences in research.” equivalents of atmospheric Charney and Stella Littman, degree in mathematics and 1948: Joined the IAS to 1956: Joined MIT as a weather systems. tailors in the garment physics from UCLA, where he explore the feasibility professor of meteorology and 1966: Appointed the first 1979: The “Charney Report” industry, Charney spent most also received a master’s in of numerical weather director of the Atmospheric Alfred P. Sloan Professor of linked CO2 emissions and 1981: Died June 16, of his early life in California. mathematics in 1940. prediction. and Ocean Dynamics Project. Meteorology at MIT. climate change. Boston, MA. 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 1928: Carl-Gustaf Rossby 1931: MIT meteorologists 1940: Radar Lab formed. 1957: Meteorology moved 1964: Meteorology moved 1970-74: Norman Phillips 1981-1983: Chaired by Peter 1997: The Center for 2011: The Lorenz Center founded the country’s first instrumented a monoplane from the School of from Building 24 to the Cecil chaired the department. Stone. Meteorology and Physical opened in EAPS. 1941: Dept of Meteorology meteorology program at MIT and performed six months of Engineering to the School and Ida Green Building, 54. Oceanography changed its created as Course XIV led 1974-77: Jule Charney chaired 1983: Merged with Course XII in Course XVI Aeronautics daily flights from East Boston of Science. name to the Program in by Sverre Petterssen. 1968: Joint Program in the department. to become the present and Astronautics. (now Logan) Airport. Atmospheres, Oceans and oceanography created Department of Earth, 1942-69: Henry Houghton 1977-81: Edward Lorenz Climate (PAOC). between MIT and the Atmospheric and Planetary chaired the department. chaired the department. Woods Hole Oceanographic Sciences (EAPS, XII). The Center 1946: Course number Institution. for Meteorology and Physical changed to XIX. Oceanography established. COMPOSITE - DO NOT PRINT Deliver to: Scott Wade SPECIFICATIONS Operations/Facilities Manager Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences DTS to 3mm brushed silver over fine silver Dibond. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Print on the fine silver side. 77 Massachusetts Avenue, 54-810 Note: Background grey in this file DOES NOT PRINT. Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 MIT-ED LORENZ DISPLAY prepared by Proun Design, LLC • 12.26.17.
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