William R. Cotton
Encyclopedia
William R. Cotton is an American
cloud physicist and mesosacale meteorologist educator. He is a Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science at the Colorado State University
.
(SUNY) in 1964, a M.S. in meteorology at Suny in 1966, and a Ph.D. in meteorology at Pennsylvania State University
in 1970. He was appointed to the academic faculty at Colorado State University
, Department of Atmospheric Science in 1974. He assumed the position of an Assistant Professor in the Department where he is now a tenured full Professor. He has been actively involved in observation and computer simulation of cumulus clouds and thunderstorms as well as other intermediate-scale cloud systems. His current interests are largely in the area of observation and modeling of larger clusters of thunderstorms that occur preferentially at night over the central United States, the simulation of severe thunderstorms including tornadoes and the application of the RAMS cloud model to forecasting agriculture and aviation impact variables. He has held positions at the Experimental Meteorological Laboratory, ERL, NOAA
, and the United States Department of Commerce
, and served as the head of the Numerical Simulation Group from 1970 to 1974.
for his Ph. D. research related to sea breeze studies and subsequently with his students at the Colorado State University. The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System] (RAMS) has been used as a basis for other weather forecast. He has indicated skepticism of anthropogenic global warming
, stating that it is an open question if human produced changes in climate are large enough to be detected from the noise of the natural variability of the climate system.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cloud physicist and mesosacale meteorologist educator. He is a Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science at the Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
.
Background
Cotton earned a B.A. in mathematics at University at Albany, The State University of New YorkUniversity at Albany, The State University of New York
The State University of New York at Albany, also known as University at Albany, State University of New York, SUNY Albany or simply UAlbany, is a public university located in Albany, Guilderland, and East Greenbush, New York, United States; is the senior campus of the State University of New York ...
(SUNY) in 1964, a M.S. in meteorology at Suny in 1966, and a Ph.D. in meteorology at Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
in 1970. He was appointed to the academic faculty at Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
, Department of Atmospheric Science in 1974. He assumed the position of an Assistant Professor in the Department where he is now a tenured full Professor. He has been actively involved in observation and computer simulation of cumulus clouds and thunderstorms as well as other intermediate-scale cloud systems. His current interests are largely in the area of observation and modeling of larger clusters of thunderstorms that occur preferentially at night over the central United States, the simulation of severe thunderstorms including tornadoes and the application of the RAMS cloud model to forecasting agriculture and aviation impact variables. He has held positions at the Experimental Meteorological Laboratory, ERL, NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
, and the United States Department of Commerce
United States Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. It was originally created as the United States Department of Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903...
, and served as the head of the Numerical Simulation Group from 1970 to 1974.
Mesoscale modeling
Together with his several students who provided coding expertise as well as original scientific insights (including Chaing Chen, Piotr J. Flatau, Michael D. Moran, Jerome Schmidt, Craig J. Tremback, Gregory Tripoli) he developed one of the first comprehensive mesoscale weather forecast models in the US - the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System. This modelling system was subsequently merged with a smaller subset of the code based on the mesoscale model developed independently by Roger A. PielkeRoger A. Pielke
Roger A. Pielke, Sr. is an American meteorologist with interests in climate variability and climate change, environmental vulnerability, numerical modeling, atmospheric dynamics, land/ocean - atmosphere interactions, and large eddy/turbulent boundary layer modeling...
for his Ph. D. research related to sea breeze studies and subsequently with his students at the Colorado State University. The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System] (RAMS) has been used as a basis for other weather forecast. He has indicated skepticism of anthropogenic global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, stating that it is an open question if human produced changes in climate are large enough to be detected from the noise of the natural variability of the climate system.
Publications
Professor Cotton is a highly cited author. He has published more than 120 papers in peer-reviewed journals, seven chapters in books, co-authored three books, and authored one book. Well known are:- Cotton, W.R. and R.A. Anthes, 1992: Storm and Cloud Dynamics (International Geophysics Series), Academic Press, San Diego, New York
- Cotton, W.R. and R.A. Pielke, 1995: Human impacts on weather and climate, Cambridge University Press, New York (2nd Edition, 2007)