Robert Jay Charlson is an American atmospheric scientist, climate scientist, pioneer in the fields of climate forcing and climate change, and coauthor of the CLAW hypothesis. He is professor of Atmospheric Sciences, chemistry, and geophysics at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. Charlson earned his PhD from the University of Washington. He is a world expert in atmospheric chemistry, aerosol physics, aerosol/cloud/climate interaction, aerosol and cloud instrumentation.
Life and times
On September 30, 1936, Robert Jay Charlson was born at Santa Clara, California and his mother's name was listed as Stucky. On March 16, 1964, a marriage license listed Robert J. Charlson, age 27, born at San Jose, California, joined Patricia E. Allison, age 23, born at Greenville, South Carolina, in lawful wedlock in the University Christion Church at King County, Washington. The license was issued on February 24, 1964 and filed with the King County Auditor on March 18, 1964.
Charlson received a BS and MS degrees in chemistry from Stanford University. Harold S. Johnston was his undergraduate advisor. His master's thesis was titled: “Techniques for High Speed Flash Photolysis”. In 1964, Charlson was awarded a PhD in physics with an emphasis on atmospheric sciences from the University of Washington, Seattle. His advisor was Konrad Büttner.
National Academy of Sciences, Panel on Aerosol Forcing of Climate, member
Atmosphere/Ocean Experiment, Science Advisory Committee
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change aerosol section reports, author, 1994 and 1995
Awards and honors
Stanford University, Honors at entrance
Phi Lambda Upsilon member
Stanford University Undergraduate Scholarships, 1955–1958
Imperial College, London University, Fulbright Scholar, 1964–1965, Cloud Physics.
NATO Visiting Lectureship in Meteorology, Germany and England, September–October 1969
Sigma Xi, RESA Regional Lecturer, Pacific Area, 1972–1973; Speaker at Spring 1973 Initiation Meeting, University of Washington
World Meteorological Association, Gerbier-Mumm Award, (with James Lovelock, Meinrat Andreae and Stephen G. Warren), interdisciplinary scientific paper pertaining to meteorology, 1988
In 1993, Stockholm University awarded Charlson an honorary doctoral degree, "Hedersdoktor," PhDh.c.
American Meteorological Society, fellow, 1995
American Geophysical Union, fellow, 1995
In 1995, as a result of the work Charlson pursued, the journal Science named the sulfate aerosol as one of nine runners-up for Molecule of the Year.
In 2009, Charlson received the ASLI Choice Award from the Atmospheric Science Librarians International for the work titled: “Clouds in the perturbed climate system: their relationship to energy balance, atmospheric dynamics, and precipitation”. This publication was edited by Jost Heintzenberg and Robert J. Charlson. The award is the highest award and represents ASLI’s Choice “for quality, authoritativeness, and comprehensive coverage of new and important aspects of cloud research”.
Photon-counting integrating nephelometer. U.S. Patent No. 3,953,127.
Measurement of the Lidar ratio for atmospheric aerosols using a 180-degree-backscatter nephelometer. U.S. Patent No. 6,404,494.
Method and apparatus for investigating temporal development of particles or droplets in gas-vapor mixture. U.S. Patent No. 6,766,702.
