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Wallace BroeckerAmerican geologist and climatologist
Date of Birth: 29.11.1931
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Academic Career
- Contributions to Climate Science
- Honors and Awards
- - Maurice Ewing Medal (1979)
Early Life and Education
Wallace Smith Broecker was born into a Christian fundamentalist family in Chicago, Illinois, in 1931. He grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, and earned a Bachelor of Science in physics and Master of Arts in geology from Columbia University in 1953 and 1954, respectively. He subsequently obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in 1958.
Academic Career
Broecker began his academic career as an assistant professor of geology at Columbia University in 1959. He rose through the ranks and became an associate professor in 1961, a full professor in 1964, and a named professor in 1977. He held the title until 2004 and continues to serve as a named professor there.
Broecker is also a member of the university's Earth and Environmental Sciences Department and Institute of Earth's Advisory Committee. He has authored over 500 articles and 14 books, including several textbooks.
Contributions to Climate Science
Broecker's primary research interest lies in the ocean's role in climate change. He is credited with coining the term "global warming," which he first used in his 1975 paper "Climatic Change: Are We on the Brink of a Pronounced Global Warming?" He accurately predicted the Earth's current temperature rise due to increasing carbon dioxide levels.
Honors and Awards
Broecker has received numerous honors and awards for his contributions to climate science, including:
- Maurice Ewing Medal (1979)
- Arthur L. Day Medal (1984)- Alexander Agassiz Medal (1986)
- V.M. Goldschmidt Award (1987)
- Wollaston Medal (1990)
- Urey Medal (1990)
- Roger Revelle Medal (1995)
- Blue Planet Prize (1996)
- National Medal of Science (1996)
- Nevada Medal (1999)
- Tyler Prize (2002)
- Crafoord Prize (2006)
- Benjamin Franklin Medal (2008)
- Balzan Prize (2008)
- BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award (2008)
- Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science (2012)
Honorary Doctorates and Affiliations
Broecker has been awarded honorary doctorates from universities in the United States, including Harvard (2015), and internationally, including Cambridge (2009) and Oxford (2015). He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Geophysical Union, and the European Geosciences Union.
