Jacob Bjerknes
Jacob Aall Bonnevie Bjerknes (/ˈjɑːkəb ˈbjɜːrknɪs/ YAH-kəb BYURK-niss, Norwegian: [ˈjɑ̀ːkɔb ˈbjæ̂rkneːs]; 2 November 1897 – 7 July 1975) was a meteorologist. He is known for his key paper in which he pointed the dynamics of the polar front, mechanism for north-south heat transport and for which he was also awarded a doctorate from the University of Oslo.
Jacob Bjerknes | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 November 1897 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Died | 7 July 1975 (aged 77) Los Angeles, United States |
| Nationality | Norwegian / American |
| Citizenship | Norwegian / American |
| Known for | ENSO Norwegian cyclone model Weather forecasting |
| Awards | National Medal of Science (1966) Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal (1960) International Meteorological Organization Prize (1959) Guggenheim Fellowship (1957) William Bowie Medal (1945) Symons Gold Medal (1940) Vega Medal (1939) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Meteorologist |
| Institutions | University of California, Los Angeles |
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, he was the son of the Norwegian meteorologist Vilhelm Bjerknes, one of the pioneers of modern weather forecasting. He helped develop the Norwegian cyclone model. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Oslo in 1924. Bjerknes was part of the team that made the first crossing of the Arctic in the airship Norge. During WWII, he helped the US with the planning of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings. He also helped gain an understanding of the weather phenomenon El Niño.