GFDL Scientists Featured on Reuters List of Top Climate Researchers
May 18, 2021
The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab is home to several of the most influential climate scientists in the world, according to the international news organization Reuters. In fact, two current GFDL researchers — Thomas Delworth and Larry Horowitz — rank in the top 100.
Delworth, the Senior Scientist and Division Leader for Seasonal to Decadal Variability and Predictability at GFDL, is ranked as the 49th most influential climate scientist. He has made significant contributions to GFDL climate models.
“The area I study is really the intersection between the natural variability of the climate system — how the system can vary and change without humans — and what humans have done to the climate system,” Delworth explains. The better we understand naturally occurring variations in weather, he says, the better able we are to detect and predict human impacts.
Horowitz earned the 92nd spot on the list. He is a Physical Scientist at GFDL whose work includes studying the chemistry of Earth’s atmosphere and its interactions with climate, air quality, and ecosystems.
“I am honored to be recognized in this way,” says Horowitz. “This recognition reflects the many great collaborations I have been lucky enough to have, both within our laboratory and around the world. Such collaborations greatly benefit our research into important, societally relevant problems such as climate change.”
A GFDL alumnus also made the list. Ronald Stouffer, who worked at the Princeton, New Jersey lab for 38 years, is ranked as the 48th most influential climate scientist.
Reuters published its “Hot List” of 1,000 climate scientists in April, as a part of a special report. The rankings are based on the number of publications, citations by other researchers to their work, as well as mentions by the media and policy makers.
By using citations as a guide, Delworth says the rankings are like a “helping index” showing how much one scientist has advanced the field.
GFDL in the Reuters Hot List
| Rank | Name | Lab |
|---|---|---|
| 48 | Ron Stouffer | GFDL Alumnus |
| 49 | Tom Delworth | GFDL |
| 92 | Larry Horowitz | GFDL |
| 135 | Tom Knutson | GFDL |
| 175 | John Dunne | GFDL |
| 236 | Andrew Wittenberg | GFDL |
| 306 | Vaishali Naik | GFDL |
| 483 | Hiroyuki Murakami | GFDL/UCAR |
| 585 | Stephen Griffies | GFDL |
| 618 | Ming Zhao | GFDL |
| 621 | Charles Stock | GFDL |
| 707 | Anthony Rosati | GFDL |
| 755 | Syukuro (Suki) Manabe | GFDL Alumnus |