Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht

IMAU

Johannes Oerlemans
research interest:
glaciers
sea-level change
palaeoclimatology
dynamic meteorology

publications
popular
Minimal Glacier Models (book), send an email for a free hardcopy
Morteratsch project
Karthaus Summer Schools
De voorspelbaarheid van klimaatverandering is begrensd
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Curriculum vitae of JOHANNES OERLEMANS

born at Eethen on 8 October 1950
1969: diploma HBS-B (Rijks-hbs, Bergen op Zoom)
1972: graduating in physics (University of Utrecht)
1976: 'doktoraalexamen' in geophysics, meteorology (summa cum laude); optional topics: applied mathematics and physical oceanography
1976-1980: junior scientist at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute; in September-December 1979 visitor at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (Boulder, USA)
1980: Ph. D. (summa cum laude); title of the dissertation: SOME MODEL STUDIES ON THE ICE AGE PROBLEM. Promotor: Prof. Dr. C.J.E. Schuurmans
1980-1989: scientist at the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Utrecht University
1982-1986 (part-time): reader at the University of Leuven (Department of Physics)
1986-1988 (part-time): research position at the Alfred-Wegener Institut für Polarforschung (Bremerhaven)
1989-present : Professor of Meteorology, Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Utrecht University
1997-2001; 2004-2006 : Director, Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Utrecht University

Major honours and awards:

1994: Elected member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences and Arts
2001: Recipient of the NWO-SPINOZA award
2004: Physica-prijs, The Netherlands' Physical Society
2007: Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Stockholm
2007: Academy Professorship, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
2008: Louis Agassiz Medal, European Geosciences Union
2009: Elected member of the Norwegian Scientific Academy for Polar Research

Committees / councils (ordinary membership of national committees not listed):

Scientific Advisory Committee on the European Glaciological Programme, European Science Foundation, 1986-1990
Commission on Dynamic Meteorology (IAMAP), 1987-
Council of the International Glaciological Society, 1988-1991
Member of Steering Committee, European Ice-Sheet Modelling Initiative (ESF), 1993-1998
Working Group on Arctic Glaciology - International Arctic Science Committee, 1993- (chairman 2003-2007)
Member of the Science Panel and Steering Committee of EPICA (European Project on Ice Coring in Antarctica), 1995-2002
Vice President of the International Commission on Snow and Ice (ICSU), 1995-1999
Chairman of the Committee for the Heineken Price for Environmental Sience, 2001
Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Alfred-Wegener-Institut fuer Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven (2004-2008)
Chairman of the Committee for the Buys Ballot Award of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2004
PI of the IPY* project GLACIODYN (Response of Arctic glaciers to climate warming) (*International Polar Year 2007-08)

Member of the editorial board of the following journals:

The Holocene, 1990-1998
Tellus, 1991-1995
Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research, 1995-

Principal organizer of the following international meetings:

International workshop on 'ORGANIZATION OF CONVECTIVE CLOUDS', (University of Utrecht), 24-25 May 1984; sponsor: Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).
together with C.J. van der Veen: internationale workshop 'DYNAMICS OF THE WEST ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET', (University of Utrecht), 6-10 May1985; sponsors: Ministry of Education and Science (NL), Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
International conference on GLACIER FLUCTUATIONS AND CLIMATIC CHANGE, (Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences), 1-5 June 1987; sponsors: University of Utrecht, Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and Environment NL).
International workshop on ICE-ATMOSPHERE-INTERACTIONS, (Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences), 18-19 November 1993; sponsor: European Science Foundation (EISMINT).
Summer School on MODELLING OF GLACIERS AND ICE SHEETS (Grindelwald, Switzerland), 27 August- 6 September 1995; sponsor: European Science Foundation (EISMINT).
Workshop on THE RESPONSE OF GLACIERS TO CLIMATE WARMING (Pontresina, Switzerland), 16-18 October 1996; sponsor: European Science Foundation (EISMINT).
Second Summer School on MODELLING OF GLACIERS AND ICE SHEETS (Karthaus, Italy), 2-12 September 1997; sponsor: European Science Foundation (EISMINT).
Summer School on DYNAMICS OF GLACIERS AND ICE SHEETS (Karthaus, Italy), 13-23 September 2000; sponsor: COACH
Summer School on ICE SHEETS AND GLACIERS IN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM (Karthaus, Italy), 10-21 September 2002; sponsor: COACH, Utrecht University
Summer School on ICE SHEETS AND GLACIERS IN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM (Karthaus, Italy), 9-20 September 2003; sponsor: COACH, Utrecht University, Province Alto Adige (Italy)
Workshop on the USE OF AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATIONS ON GLACIERS (Pontresina, Switzerland), 28-31 March 2004
Workshop on THE MASS BUDGET OF ARCTIC GLACIERS (Pontresina, Switzerland), 13-15 January 2005; IASC Working Group on Arctic Glaciology; sponsor: Utrecht University
Summer School on ICE SHEETS AND GLACIERS IN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM (Karthaus, Italy), 13-24 September 2005; sponsor: COACH, Utrecht University
Workshop on THE MASS BUDGET OF ARCTIC GLACIERS and GLACIODYN meeting (Obergurgl, Austria), 29 January - 3 February 2006; IASC Working Group on Arctic Glaciology; sponsor: Utrecht University
Summer School on ICE SHEETS AND GLACIERS IN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM (Karthaus, Italy), 11-22 September 2007; sponsor: Utrecht University
Summer School on ICE SHEETS AND GLACIERS IN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM (Karthaus, Italy), 9-20 September 2008; sponsors: IMAU, Utrecht University, and Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen
Summer School on ICE SHEETS AND GLACIERS IN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM (Karthaus, Italy), 8-19 September 2009; sponsors: IMAU, Utrecht University; Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen; Ice2Sea (EU-FP7-project)

Contributions to international assessments on climate change

IPCC Working Group-I, First Assessment, 1990, Lead author of Chapter 9 (Sea level rise)
IPCC Working Group-I, Second Assessment, 1996, Lead author of Chapter 9 (Sea level rise)
IPCC Working Group-I, Third Assessment, 2001, Lead author of Chapter 2 (Observed Climate Variability and Change)
ACIA (Arctic Climate Impact Assessment), 2005, Arctic Council, contributing author (Cryosphere and Hydrology)

Teaching through the years

Undergraduate courses (Utrecht University, Physics): Introduction to Meteorology, Continuum Mechanics
Master courses (Utrecht University): Dynamic Meteorology, Numerical Methods in Meteorology and Oceanography, Climate Dynamics, Ice and Climate
Master courses (University of Leuven, Physics): Physics of the Atmosphere

Supervised Ph.D. projects

C.J. van der Veen (1986): Ice sheets, atmospheric CO2 and sea level
A.J. van Delden (1987): On cumulus cloud patterns and the theory of shallow convection
J.W. Greuell (1989): Glaciers and climate: energy balance studies and numerical modelling of the historical front variations of Hintereisferner (Austria)
R.S.W. van de Wal (1992): Ice and climate
J.P.F. Fortuin (1992): The surface mass balance and temperature of Antarctica
R. Bintanja (1995): The Antarctic ice sheet and climate
M.R. van den Broeke (1996): The atmospheric boundary layer over ice sheets and glaciers
J.J. van Roijen (1996): Determination of ages and specific mass balances from 14C measurements of Antarctic surface ice
W.H. Knap (1997): Satellite-derived and ground-based measurements of the surface albedo of glaciers
N.P.M. van Lipzig (1999): The surface mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet: a study with a regional atmospheric model
B. Denby (2001): Modelling and interpretation of turbulent fluxes in katabatic flows: applications to glaciers and the Greenland ice sheet
C.H. Reijmer (2001): Antarctic meteorology: a study with automatic weather stations
M.S. de Ruyter de Wildt (2002): Satellite retrieval and modeling of glacier mass balance
E.J. Klok (2003): The response of glaciers to climate change
K.A. Kaspers (2004): Chemical and physical analyses of firn and firn air
D. van As (2005): The summertime atmospheric boundary layer over the Antarctic Plateau
M. Helsen (2006): On the interpretation of stable isotopes in Antarctic precipitation
F.M. Nick (2006): Modelling the behaviour of tidewater glaciers
J. van den Berg (2007): Interactions between ice sheets, climate and the solid earth
W.J. van de Berg (2008): Present-day climate of Antarctica: A study with a regional climate model
P. Kuipers Munneke (2009): Snow, ice and solar radiation
R.H. Giesen (2009): The ice cap Hardangerjokulen in the past, present and future climate

IMAU
P.O. Box 80005
NL-3508 TA Utrecht The Netherlands
email: J.Oerlemans@uu.nl
phone (+31/0) 030 253 3275,
fax (+31/0) 030 254 3163,

Last modified: 16 November 2009