Kerry Emanuel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kerry Emanuel
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Emanuel in 2016
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| Born | April 21, 1955 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Known for | Dynamics, hurricanes |
| Awards | Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Meteorology |
| Institutions | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Thesis | Inertial stability and mesoscale convective systems (1978) |
| Doctoral advisor | Jule Charney |
Kerry Andrew Emanuel, born on April 21, 1955, is an American professor who studies weather and climate. He works at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge. He is especially known for his work on how air moves in the atmosphere and how hurricanes become very strong.
Contents
Understanding Hurricanes and Climate
Professor Emanuel has done a lot of research on how hurricanes form and change. He looks at how they get their power from the ocean.
Super Hurricanes: A Hypothesis
In 1994, Professor Emanuel suggested that a super-powerful type of hurricane, called a "hypercane", could form. This would only happen if the average sea surface temperature (the temperature of the ocean's surface) increased by a huge amount, about 15 degrees Celsius more than it has ever been. This is just a theory about what could happen in extreme conditions.
Hurricanes and Global Warming
In a paper published in March 2008, Professor Emanuel shared his findings on global warming and hurricanes. He concluded that global warming is likely to make hurricanes more intense (stronger). However, he also suggested that there might be fewer hurricanes overall.
Other scientists, like Gabriel Vecchi from NOAA, agreed that while global warming might play a role, other factors also likely contribute to changes in hurricane activity.
MIT Lorenz Center
In 2011, Professor Emanuel helped start the MIT Lorenz Center with Daniel Rothman. This center is named after Edward N. Lorenz, a famous meteorologist. The center focuses on understanding complex systems, like Earth's climate.
Views on Nuclear Power
In 2013, Professor Emanuel joined other experts to write an open letter to leaders. They stated that continuing to oppose nuclear power could make it harder for humanity to avoid dangerous climate change. They believe nuclear power is an important tool for creating energy without producing greenhouse gases.
Awards and Recognition
Professor Emanuel has received many honors for his work.
- In 2006, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people.
- In 2007, he became a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. This is a very high honor for scientists in the United States.
- He was elected a Member of the American Philosophical Society in 2019.
- In 2020, he was elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society, a prestigious scientific organization in the United Kingdom.
See also
- Wind-induced surface heat exchange
Selected Publications
- Emanuel, K.A.(1994): Atmospheric Convection, Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0-19-506630-8
- Emanuel, K.A.(2005): Divine Wind: The History And Science Of Hurricanes, ISBN: 0-19-514941-6
- Emanuel, K.A.(2005): "Increasing destructiveness of tropical cyclones over the past 30 years". Nature
- Emanuel, K.A.(2007): Phaeton’s Reins - The human hand in climate change. Boston Review.
- Emanuel, K.A.(2007): What We Know About Climate Change, The MIT Press & Boston Review. ISBN: 978-0-262-05089-0
- Emanuel, K.A.(2008): "Hurricanes and Global Warming: Results from Downscaling IPCC AR4 Simulations". Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
