Robert Jay Charlson

{{Short description|American atmospheric scientist (1936–2021)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2016}}

Robert Jay Charlson (September 30, 1936 – September 28, 2021) was an American atmospheric scientist, climate scientist, pioneer in the fields of climate forcing and climate change, and coauthor of the CLAW hypothesis. Charlson is known for his research in atmospheric chemistry, aerosol physics, aerosol/cloud/climate interaction, aerosol and cloud instrumentation.

Background

Robert Jay Charlson was born in San Jose, California on September 30, 1936, to Adele and Rolland Charlson. His mother's maiden name was listed as Stucky.California Birth Index, 1905–1995. Database, FamilySearch. Robert Jay Charlson, September 30, 1936. Citing Santa Clara, California. United States. Department of Health Services. Vital Statistics Department, Sacramento. On March 16, 1964, he married Patricia Allison in Seattle in the University Christian Church in King County, Washington.Washington, Marriage Records, 1865–2004. (2012). Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Original data: Washington State Archives. Olympia, Washington: Washington State Archives. Charlson died on September 28, 2021, at the age of 84.{{cite news |title=Robert J. Charlson (Bob) |url=https://obituaries.seattletimes.com/obituary/robert-charlson-1083426364 |access-date=14 February 2024 |publisher=The Seattle Times |date=5 October 2021}}

Education and career

Charlson received BS and MS degrees in chemistry from Stanford University. Harold S. Johnston was his undergraduate advisor.Johnston, Harold S. (1992). Atmospheric Ozone. Annual Review of Physical Chemistry. 43: 1–32. His master's thesis was titled: “Techniques for High Speed Flash Photolysis”.Charlson, Robert Jay. (1959). Techniques for High Speed Flash Photolysis. Department of Chemistry, Stanford University. In 1964, Charlson was awarded a PhD in atmospheric sciences from the University of Washington, Seattle.{{Cite thesis|title=Liquid film hygrometry.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/19960471|date=1964|language=English|first=Robert J|last=Charlson|oclc = 19960471}} His advisor was Konrad Büttner.Socci, Anthony D. (April 25, 1996). The Role of Aerosols in Climate Change. USGCRP Seminar on The Role of Aerosols and Climate Change, April 25. U.S. Global Change Research Program Second Monday Seminar Series. Rayburn House Office Bldg., Room B369. Washington, DC.Mainz, Vera V. and Girolami, Gregory S. (1998). Robert Jay Charlson. Genealogy Database Entry. Since 1998, he was professor emeritus of Atmospheric Sciences, chemistry, and geophysics at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington.{{Cite web|title=Emeritus Faculty|url=https://atmos.uw.edu/faculty-and-research/emeritus-faculty/|access-date=2021-08-21|website=Department of Atmospheric Sciences|language=en-US}}

Charlson was one of the lead authors for Chapter 2, "Radiative forcing of climate change" in the 1995 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) working group report.{{Cite web|date=1995|title=Chapter 2 : Radiative Forcing of Climate Change AR2-WG1|url=https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_sar_wg_I_full_report.pdf}} He was also a contributing author to the 1990 and the 2001 IPCC assessment reports.{{Cite web|title=IPCC report authors|url=https://archive.ipcc.ch/report/authors/authors.php?s=charlson}} In 2007, the IPCC received the Nobel Peace Prize for this work validating the scientific basis of climate change.{{Cite web |title=The Nobel Peace Prize 2007 |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2007/summary/ |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=NobelPrize.org |language=en-US}}

Selected publications

  • {{Cite journal|last1=Charlson|first1=Robert J.|last2=Lovelock|first2=James E.|last3=Andreae|first3=Meinrat O.|last4=Warren|first4=Stephen G.|date=1987|title=Oceanic phytoplankton, atmospheric sulphur, cloud albedo and climate|url=http://www.nature.com/articles/326655a0|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=326|issue=6114|pages=655–661|doi=10.1038/326655a0|bibcode=1987Natur.326..655C|s2cid=4321239|issn=0028-0836}}
  • {{Cite journal|last1=Charlson|first1=R. J.|last2=Schwartz|first2=S. E.|last3=Hales|first3=J. M.|last4=Cess|first4=R. D.|last5=Coakley|first5=J. A.|last6=Hansen|first6=J. E.|last7=Hofmann|first7=D. J.|date=1992-01-24|title=Climate Forcing by Anthropogenic Aerosols|url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.255.5043.423|journal=Science|language=en|volume=255|issue=5043|pages=423–430|doi=10.1126/science.255.5043.423|pmid=17842894|bibcode=1992Sci...255..423C|s2cid=26740611|issn=0036-8075}}
  • {{Cite journal|last1=Lin|first1=Chin-I|last2=Baker|first2=Marcia|author-link2=Marcia Baker|last3=Charlson|first3=Robert J.|date=1973-06-01|title=Absorption Coefficient of Atmospheric Aerosol: a Method for Measurement|url=https://www.osapublishing.org/abstract.cfm?URI=ao-12-6-1356|journal=Applied Optics|language=en|volume=12|issue=6|pages=1356–1363|doi=10.1364/AO.12.001356|pmid=20125520|bibcode=1973ApOpt..12.1356L|issn=0003-6935}}
  • {{Cite journal|last1=Baker|first1=Marcia B.|author-link=Marcia Baker|last2=Charlson|first2=Robert J.|date=1990|title=Bistability of CCN concentrations and thermodynamics in the cloud-topped boundary layer|url=http://www.nature.com/articles/345142a0|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=345|issue=6271|pages=142–145|doi=10.1038/345142a0|bibcode=1990Natur.345..142B|s2cid=34623897|issn=0028-0836}}

Awards and honors

{{Sources|date=September 2021}}

  • Stanford University, Honors at entrance
  • Phi Lambda Upsilon member
  • Stanford University Undergraduate Scholarships, 1955–1958
  • Imperial College, London University, Fulbright Scholar, 1964–1965, Cloud Physics.
  • NATO Visiting Lectureship in Meteorology, Germany and England, September–October 1969
  • Sigma Xi, RESA Regional Lecturer, Pacific Area, 1972–1973; Speaker at Spring 1973 Initiation Meeting, University of Washington
  • World Meteorological Association, Gerbier-Mumm Award, (with James Lovelock, Meinrat Andreae and Stephen G. Warren), interdisciplinary scientific paper pertaining to meteorology, 1988
  • In 1993, Stockholm University awarded Charlson an honorary doctoral degree, "Hedersdoktor," PhDh.c.
  • American Meteorological Society, fellow, 1995
  • American Geophysical Union, fellow, 1995
  • In 1995, as a result of the work Charlson pursued, the journal Science named the sulfate aerosol as one of nine runners-up for Molecule of the Year.Editor. (1995). Molecule of the Year: A New Form of Matter Unveiled. Science. 270: 1902.
  • In 2009, Charlson received the ASLI Choice Award from the Atmospheric Science Librarians International for the work titled: “Clouds in the perturbed climate system: their relationship to energy balance, atmospheric dynamics, and precipitation”.Heintzenberg, Jost & Charlson, Robert J. (2009). Clouds in the Perturbed Climate System. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. This publication was edited by Jost Heintzenberg and Robert J. Charlson. The award is the highest award and represents ASLI's Choice “for quality, authoritativeness, and comprehensive coverage of new and important aspects of cloud research”.Editor. (2010). 2009 ASLI Choice Awards. Atmospheric Science Librarians International.

Patents

  • Photon-counting integrating nephelometer. U.S. Patent No. 3,953,127.Ahlquist, Norman C., Waggoner, Alan P., & Charlson, R. J. (1976). Photon-counting integrating nephelometer. U.S. Patent No. 3,953,127. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Issued April 27, 1976.
  • Measurement of the Lidar ratio for atmospheric aerosols using a 180-degree-backscatter nephelometer. U.S. Patent No. 6,404,494.Masonis, Sarah J., Anderson, Theodore L., & Charlson, Robert J. (2002). Measurement of the Lidar ratio for atmospheric aerosols using a 180-degree-backscatter nephelometer. U.S. Patent No. 6,404,494. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Issued June 11, 2002.
  • Method and apparatus for investigating temporal development of particles or droplets in gas-vapor mixture. U.S. Patent No. 6,766,702.Heintzenberg, Jost, Charlson, R. J., Stratmann, Frank, Wendisch, Manfred, & Wurzler, Sabine. (2004). Method and apparatus for investigating temporal development of particles or droplets in gas-vapor mixture. U.S. Patent No. 6,766,702. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Issued July 27, 2004.

References

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