Verner Suomi: The Life and Work of the Founder of Satellite Meteorology

by John M. Lewis, Jean M. Phillips, W. Paul Menzel, Thomas H. Vonder Haar, Hans Moosmüller

Overview

As the space age got underway in the wake of Sputnik, one of the earliest areas of science to take advantage of the new observational opportunities it afforded was the study of climate and weather. This book tells the story of Finnish-American educator, inventor, and scientist Verner Suomi, who, in those early days of space science, brought his pragmatic engineering skills to bear on finding ways to use our new access to space to put observational instruments into orbit. In 1959, Suomi’s work resulted in the launching of Explorer VII, a satellite that measured the earth’s radiation budget, a major step in our ability to understand and forecast weather. Drawing on personal letters and oral histories, the book presents a rounded picture of the man who launched the field of satellite meteorology—in the process changing forever the way we understand and interact with the weather around us.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781944970239
Publisher:	American Meteorological Society
Publication date:	02/15/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	203
File size:	20 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

John M. Lewis is research meteorologist at National Severe Storms Laboratory, and visiting professor of atmospheric science at Desert Research Institute and the University of Nevada-Reno. 
 

Table of Contents

Contents Preface Acknowledgments Part I: The Winding Road to Meteorology 1. On the Mesabi during the Great Depression 2. Road to Winona and Chicago 3. Entrée into Meteorology: Cadet to Instructor at the University of Chicago 4. Suomi’s Research Style at the University of Chicago 5. Professorship at UW–Madison: Early Years (1948–1953) 6. Epiphany at Chicago Part II: Earth’s Heat Budget from Space 7. Suomi–Parent Ping-Pong Radiometer and Its Principle of Operation 8. Explorer VII: The Magnificent Voyage 9. Earth’s Radiation Budget from Satellites: Theme of the 1960s Part III: Space Science and Engineering Center: An Institute for Satellite Meteorology 10. Perfect Timing: NWP and Satellite Meteorology Merge 11. Panoramic View of Suomi’s Research Themes at SSEC 12. Suomi’s Model for Conducting Research at SSEC Part IV: Notable Research Themes: Their Past, Present, and Future 13. Ocean–Atmosphere Interaction 14. Atmospheres of Neighboring Planets 15. Satellite Data in Service to NWP Part V: Suomi’s Uniqueness 16. Curtain Call: Last Project and Last Days 17. Epilogue A. Robert J. Parent’s Vita B. Vignettes C. Mentorship D. Suomi’s People: List of Coworkers, Protégés, and Colleagues E. Suomi’s Witticisms and Aphorisms References Index