Dr Peter Janssen has been awarded the Fridtjof Nansen Medal for 2015 by the European Geosciences Union (EGU). This medal was established in recognition of the scientific achievements of Fridtjof Nansen and is awarded for distinguished research in oceanography.
Peter’s work has highlighted the necessity of coupling the ocean surface waves with the atmosphere. The feedback of the waves on the atmospheric circulation, based on a theory developed by Peter, was implemented in ECMWF’s two-way coupled system in the late 1990s. More recently, Peter developed and implemented an operational warning system for freak waves based on his pioneering theoretical work. His theory for freak waves has also found application in non-linear optics, because the common physical process is the formation of (envelope) solitary waves. Peter has also initiated research work to better understand and model the ocean mixing that is governed by ocean surface waves.
Peter is a world leader on the theory and modelling of ocean waves and this has been instrumental in the development of ECMWF’s forecasting system. He is presently leading innovative model developments that have led to the first operational implementation at ECMWF of a model that fully couples atmosphere, surface waves and ocean.
The medal will be presented at the EGU 2015 General Assembly, taking place in Vienna from 12 to 17 April 2015.
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