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Diverse Contributions of Robert H. Simpson and Joanne Simpson To DIVERSEDIVERSE CONTRIBUTIONSCONTRIBUTIONS OFOF ROBERTROBERT H.H. SIMPSONSIMPSON ANDAND JOANNEJOANNE SIMPSONSIMPSON TOTO SCIENCESCIENCE ANDAND SOCIETYSOCIETY By Roger A. Pielke Sr. Colorado State University Department of Atmospheric Science Fort Collins, CO 80523 Robert H. Simpson From: Naples Daily News, Wed. May 30, 2001 Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 2 Director of the National Hurricane Research Project In 1955, Congress authorized additional funding for the United States Weather Bureau (USWB) to create the National Hurricane Research Project (NHRP), which was to conduct research into hurricanes in hopes of improving scientific understanding of them, which in turn would improve forecasting. Robert Simpson was appointed Director of the twenty-two person Project and in one year he had the operational headquarters set up at the West Palm Beach, Florida airport. The USAF loaned three aircraft and their crews to the effort, and on August 13, 1956 the first NHRP flight was made into Hurricane Betsy off the Turks and Caicos Islands. 1958 was the most productive year of this era, with twenty-three missions being flown, and important papers being published on mean atmospheric soundings, hurricane rainfall distributions, storm surge surveys, and radar descriptions of hurricane structure. Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 3 Director of Project STORMFURY Dr. Simpson left the Directorship of the National Hurricane Research Project to become Director of Project Stormfury. Project Stormfury, a new cloud seeding process, was born in 1962. It was a significant development in the area of storm modification and energized the quest to weaken and eradicate the hurricane. In 1963, they were able to conduct tests on Hurricane Beulah, but with only marginal success. Each time the storm was seeded, sustained winds were reduced. Ultimately though, Project Stormfury was cancelled in 1980 since the team was unable to clearly ascertain whether the seeding efforts were really causing storms to weaken, or the systems just became victims of the environment around them. Nevertheless, the work done did bear some fruit as forecasters and scientists alike were able to learn a great deal from their research, and it has helped them improve forecasting accuracy. Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 4 University of Miami / EML / NHRL / NHC Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 5 The Saffir-Simpson Damage- Potential Scale ThisThis scalescale waswas developeddeveloped inin thethe earlyearly 1970s1970s byby HerbertHerbert SaffirSaffir,, aa consultingconsulting engineerengineer inin CoralCoral Gables,Gables, Florida,Florida, andand Dr.Dr. RobertRobert Simpson,Simpson, thenthen DirectorDirector ofof thethe NationalNational HurricaneHurricane Center.Center. TheThe scalescale isis basedbased primarilyprimarily onon windwind speedspeed andand includesincludes estimatesestimates ofof barometricbarometric pressurepressure andand stormstorm surgesurge associatedassociated withwith eacheach ofof thethe fivefive categoriescategories onon thethe scale.scale. Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 6 Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 7 Pioneering Work on Tropical Cyclone Movement Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 8 Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 9 Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 10 University of Virginia Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 11 President of Simpson Weather Associates A Model for Technology Transfer Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 12 Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 13 WhoWho IsIs ThatThat BehindBehind ThoseThose Sunglasses?Sunglasses? Photo Courtesy of Ronald L. Holle Senior Network Application Specialist Vaisala-GAI (formerly Global Atmospherics Inc.) 2705 E. Medina Rd., Tucson, AZ 85706 USA Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 14 JoanneJoanne Simpson:Simpson: AwardsAwards andand RecognitionRecognition The first woman in the world to receive a Ph.D. in Meteorology – 1949. Received the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1954. Received the American Meteorological Society Meisinger Award in 1962. Listed in the Who’s Who of American Women since 1972. Received the Department of Commerce Gold Medal Award in 1972. Received the Professional Achievement Award of the University of Chicago Alumni in 1975 and 1992. Listed in the Who’s Who in America since 1980. Received the Rossby Research Medal in 1983. Elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1988. Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 15 JoanneJoanne Simpson:Simpson: AwardsAwards andand RecognitionRecognition The first and only woman ever to be elected president of the AMS in 1989. NASA’s fastest supercomputer named for pioneer researcher at Goddard –Joanne Simpson – May 14, 1989. Received the Women in Science and Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. Received the C.F. Brooks Award in 1992. Awarded the 1st William Nordberg Memorial Award for Earth Science in 1994. Had two special AMS journals dedicated to her. The first woman to be awarded the prestigious International Meteorological Organization Prize by the Executive Council of the WMO in 2002. Endowed Professorship at the University of Virginia. Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 16 ““WomenWomen inin thethe AtmosphericAtmospheric Sciences.Sciences. AstoundingAstounding ProgressProgress sincesince WorldWorld WarWar IIII.”.” Personal Viewpoint of Joanne Simpson from Weatherzine, 34, June 2002. “The critical mass of women is reached when you can talk science in the ladies room!” (from Who’s Who in Weather: Dr. Joanne Simpson by Amy Marquis, March 19, 2001). Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 17 SelectedSelected RecommendationsRecommendations mademade byby JOANNEJOANNE SIMPSONSIMPSON inin “METEOROLOGIST”“METEOROLOGIST” AnnalsAnnals NewNew YorkYork AcademyAcademy ofof Sciences,Sciences, 19761976 “Learn to put every minute of your time to good use. I have written some of my best scientific papers in the pediatrician’s waiting room, on streetcars and airplanes, while furniture was being delivered, and in other people’s boring seminars. If you must have uninterrupted peace and quiet, without emotional stress, to study or do your work – forget it. Always take work with you wherever you go.go. BeBe preparedprepared forfor anan 8080-hour week and the prospect that you will be slaving when your friends are lying on the beach, playing bridge, partying, or in the beauty parlor. In the last analysis, then, you must love your work, for the sheer doing of it, as well as or more than anything else in life. I did, for many, many years.” Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 18 SelectedSelected RecommendationsRecommendations mademade byby JOANNEJOANNE SIMPSONSIMPSON inin “METEOROLOGIST”“METEOROLOGIST” AnnalsAnnals NewNew YorkYork AcademyAcademy ofof Sciences,Sciences, 19761976 “Forego false pride. Learn to type and to teach and to do both of these well, even if you must work without pay. You can always earn room and board by babysitting. I started as a volunteer secretary in the Office of the Aviation Director of my state. Later, I became his paid administrative assistant. From that platform I learned to fly, to write effective letters, to administrate, and to handle a budget. The contacts I made and the stimulation received from the job were so essential, that I doubt that I would be here today without them. Cultivate important contacts and references regarding your qualifications and never hesitate to use them. Never take no for an answer, at least for the first three times. Develop a thick skin toward being disliked by some – even many – people. This is bound to happen if you are successful.” Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 19 StatementStatement mademade byby JOANNEJOANNE SIMPSONSIMPSON inin “METEOROLOGIST”“METEOROLOGIST” AnnalsAnnals NewNew YorkYork AcademyAcademy ofof Sciences,Sciences, 19761976 “It is a delight and stimulation for me to interact with these brilliant young people and to provide intellectual leadership and a quasi-academic atmosphere in order that they may develop their talents freely and fully. I have fought like an alley cat to secure them advancement and honors and have figuratively spilled my blood on the ground to shield them from the nightmare of the bureaucratic and political quagmire until they acquire the maturity and toughness to share this burden with me...” Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 20 “Equivalent Mountain” Concept Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 21 Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 22 Mesoscale Circulations Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 23 Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 24 Cumulus Rainfall Enhancement Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 25 Vertical velocity prediction 9.5 h after simulated sunrise, and composite radar map at equivalent time for 29 June 1971 (from Pielke 1974: Mon. Wea. Rev., 102, 115-139). Roger A. Pielke Sr., CSU, Atmos. Science, Ft. Collins, CO 26 Schematic illustration of asymmetry in eye structure when tropical easterly current has pronounced A model simulation of the eye and eyewall region of negative shear. The velocities given by the arrow a mature
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