¨
Indian-origin scientist
Veerabhadran Ramanathan has been awarded the Crafoord Prize, widely considered
the “Nobel Prize of Earth Sciences.”
¨
His decades-long research
on climate change has transformed our understanding of how the Earth's
temperature rises. From discovering the warming effects of industrial gases to
shaping global environmental policies, his work has had a profound impact on
both science and society.
¨
The award recognizes a
lifetime of contributions dedicated to protecting the planet through
evidence-based climate science.
Who is Veerabhadran
Ramanathan
¨
Veerabhadran Ramanathan
is an Indian-origin atmospheric scientist whose work has revolutionized climate
science.
¨
Born and educated in
South India, Ramanathan studied engineering in Bengaluru before moving to the
United States for higher studies.
¨
In a career spanning over
five decades, working at leading institutions worldwide, he fundamentally
changed scientific thinking on global warming.
¨
His research demonstrated
that climate change is driven not just by carbon dioxide, but by the combined
effect of multiple heat-trapping gases.
¨
The discovery that
changed climate science.
¨
While working at NASA's
Langley Research Center in the 1970s, Ramanathan discovered that
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) trap significant amounts of heat.
¨
His paper, published in
the journal Science in 1975, showed that a single CFC molecule could cause
thousands of times more warming than carbon dioxide.
¨
This was the first clear
scientific confirmation that gases other than CO₂ could also significantly
contribute to global warming—a finding that reshaped the direction of climate
research.
Trace Gases and Accelerating
Global Warming
¨
Ramanathan's later
research highlighted the powerful role of trace gases such as methane and
nitrous oxide.
¨
In research co-authored
in 1985, he warned that these gases could accelerate global warming at a much
faster rate than previously expected.
¨
This scientific evidence
played a crucial role in shaping the Montreal Protocol (1987), which phased out
CFCs.
¨
This treaty is considered
one of the most successful environmental agreements and has helped prevent
significant additional global warming.
