William Ruddiman
Encyclopedia
William F. Ruddiman is a palaeoclimatologist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia
. Ruddiman earned an undergraduate degree in geology in 1964 at Williams College
, and a Ph.D. in marine geology
from Columbia University
in 1969. Ruddiman worked at the US Naval Oceanographic Office
from 1969 to 1976, and at Columbia's Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory from 1976 to 1991. He moved to Virginia in 1991, serving as a Professor in Environmental Sciences. Ruddiman's research interests center on climate change over several time scales. He is a Fellow of both the Geological Society of America
and the American Geophysical Union
. Ruddiman has participated in 15 oceanographic cruises, and was co-chief of two deep-sea drilling cruises.
Ruddiamn is best known for his "early anthropogene" hypothesis, the idea that human-induced changes in greenhouse gas
es did not begin in the eighteenth century with advent of coal-burning factories and power plants of the industrial era
but date back to 8,000 years ago, triggered by the intense farming
activities of our early agrarian ancestors. It was at that time that atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations stopped following the periodic pattern of rises and falls that had accurately characterized their past long-term behavior, a pattern which is well explained by natural variations in the Earth’s orbit known as Milankovitch cycles
. In his overdue-glaciation hypothesis Ruddiman claims that an incipient ice age would probably have begun several thousand years ago, but the arrival of that scheduled ice age was forestalled by the activities of early farmers. The overdue-glaciation hypothesis has been challenged on the grounds that alternative explanations are sufficient to account for the current warm anomaly without recourse to human activity, but Ruddiman challenges the methodology of his critics (see external links).
Ruddiman is also known for his hypothesis in the 1980s that the tectonic uplift
of Tibet
created the highly seasonal monsoon
al circulation that dominates Asia today. With his then graduate student Maureen Raymo
he hypothesised that the uplift of the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau caused a reduction in atmospheric CO2 through increases in chemical weathering and was therefore a major causal factor in the Cenozoic Cooling trend that eventually led to our most recent series of Ice Age
s
He was awarded the Lyell Medal
of the Geological Society of London
for 2010.
He has written two books: "Plows, Plagues, and Petroleum: How Humans Took Control of Climate
", and a textbook on climate science, Earth's Climate, Past and Future. ; and over 125 scientific papers.
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. Ruddiman earned an undergraduate degree in geology in 1964 at Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, and a Ph.D. in marine geology
Marine geology
Marine geology or geological oceanography involves geophysical, geochemical, sedimentological and paleontological investigations of the ocean floor and coastal margins...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1969. Ruddiman worked at the US Naval Oceanographic Office
Naval Oceanographic Office
The Naval Oceanographic Office , located at John C. Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi, comprises approximately 1,000 civilian, military and contract personnel responsible for providing oceanographic products and services to all elements within the Department of Defense.Valued by maritime...
from 1969 to 1976, and at Columbia's Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory from 1976 to 1991. He moved to Virginia in 1991, serving as a Professor in Environmental Sciences. Ruddiman's research interests center on climate change over several time scales. He is a Fellow of both the Geological Society of America
Geological Society of America
The Geological Society of America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. The society was founded in New York in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchcock, John R. Proctor and Edward Orton and has been headquartered at 3300 Penrose...
and the American Geophysical Union
American Geophysical Union
The American Geophysical Union is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting of over 50,000 members from over 135 countries. AGU's activities are focused on the organization and dissemination of scientific information in the interdisciplinary and international field of geophysics...
. Ruddiman has participated in 15 oceanographic cruises, and was co-chief of two deep-sea drilling cruises.
Ruddiamn is best known for his "early anthropogene" hypothesis, the idea that human-induced changes in greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
es did not begin in the eighteenth century with advent of coal-burning factories and power plants of the industrial era
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
but date back to 8,000 years ago, triggered by the intense farming
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
activities of our early agrarian ancestors. It was at that time that atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations stopped following the periodic pattern of rises and falls that had accurately characterized their past long-term behavior, a pattern which is well explained by natural variations in the Earth’s orbit known as Milankovitch cycles
Milankovitch cycles
Milankovitch theory describes the collective effects of changes in the Earth's movements upon its climate, named after Serbian civil engineer and mathematician Milutin Milanković, who worked on it during First World War internment...
. In his overdue-glaciation hypothesis Ruddiman claims that an incipient ice age would probably have begun several thousand years ago, but the arrival of that scheduled ice age was forestalled by the activities of early farmers. The overdue-glaciation hypothesis has been challenged on the grounds that alternative explanations are sufficient to account for the current warm anomaly without recourse to human activity, but Ruddiman challenges the methodology of his critics (see external links).
Ruddiman is also known for his hypothesis in the 1980s that the tectonic uplift
Tectonic uplift
Tectonic uplift is a geological process most often caused by plate tectonics which increases elevation. The opposite of uplift is subsidence, which results in a decrease in elevation. Uplift may be orogenic or isostatic.-Orogenic uplift:...
of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
created the highly seasonal monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
al circulation that dominates Asia today. With his then graduate student Maureen Raymo
Maureen Raymo
Maureen E. Raymo is an American paleoclimatologist and marine geologist. She is a research professor at the University of Boston. She has won various prizes for her scientific work. In 2002, she was included by the illustrated magazine Discover in a list of the 50 most important women in science...
he hypothesised that the uplift of the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau caused a reduction in atmospheric CO2 through increases in chemical weathering and was therefore a major causal factor in the Cenozoic Cooling trend that eventually led to our most recent series of Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
s
He was awarded the Lyell Medal
Lyell Medal
The Lyell Medal is a prestigious annual scientific medal given by the Geological Society of London, equal in status to the Murchison Medal, awarded on the basis of research to an Earth Scientist of exceptional quality...
of the Geological Society of London
Geological Society of London
The Geological Society of London is a learned society based in the United Kingdom with the aim of "investigating the mineral structure of the Earth"...
for 2010.
He has written two books: "Plows, Plagues, and Petroleum: How Humans Took Control of Climate
Plows, Plagues and Petroleum
Plows, Plagues and Petroleum: How Humans Took Control of Climate is a 2005 book published by Princeton University Press and written by William Ruddiman, a paleoclimatologist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia. He has authored and co-authored several different books and academic...
", and a textbook on climate science, Earth's Climate, Past and Future. ; and over 125 scientific papers.
External links
- Home page
- How Did Humans First Alter Global Climate? at Scientific AmericanScientific AmericanScientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
, 2005 - The anthropogenic greenhouse era began thousands of years ago; Climatic Change 61: 261–293, 2003
- Debate over the Early Anthropogenic Hypothesis, 2005
- Hazel Muir. "The ice age that never was". New Scientist Print Edition. 3 September 2008
- Climate Changes at Geologic Time Scales: An Overview by WF Ruddiman, 2008 conference presentation.