Andrew Dessler
Encyclopedia
Andrew Dessler is a professor
at Texas A&M University
in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences. His research subject areas are climate systems research and climate change
policy. He has a BA degree from Rice University
and a PhD degree from Harvard University
.
Dessler spent the year 2000 as a senior policy analyst in the White House
Office of Science and Technology Policy
. While there, he became aware of that policymakers and the general public often lack an understanding of how science works and how to interpret the conflicting claims in policy debates. Dessler’s focus is on understanding the Earth’s climate; he has also researched stratospheric
chemistry
.
He has served as an associate editor for the Journal of Geophysical Research
, and editor for the American Geophysical Union
. Dessler was selected as keynote speaker at a technical conference of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
, The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change: a Guide to the Debate, conveys the complexity of the current global climate change. His book details the significance of earth surface temperature
change versus troposphere
change. In addition he provides insights to the geological time scale of global warming.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences. His research subject areas are climate systems research and climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
policy. He has a BA degree from Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
and a PhD degree from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
Dessler spent the year 2000 as a senior policy analyst in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Office of Science and Technology Policy
Office of Science and Technology Policy
The Office of Science and Technology Policy is an office in the Executive Office of the President , established by Congress on May 11, 1976, with a broad mandate to advise the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs.The director of this office is...
. While there, he became aware of that policymakers and the general public often lack an understanding of how science works and how to interpret the conflicting claims in policy debates. Dessler’s focus is on understanding the Earth’s climate; he has also researched stratospheric
Stratosphere
The stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and below the mesosphere. It is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down. This is in contrast to the troposphere near the Earth's surface, which is cooler...
chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
.
He has served as an associate editor for the Journal of Geophysical Research
Journal of Geophysical Research
The Journal of Geophysical Research is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Geophysical Union 80 times per year. It contains original research on the physical, chemical, and biological processes that contribute to the understanding of the Earth, Sun, and solar system...
, and editor for 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...
. Dessler was selected as keynote speaker at a technical conference of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Principal policy work
Dessler's principal policy monographMonograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
, The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change: a Guide to the Debate, conveys the complexity of the current global climate change. His book details the significance of earth surface temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
change versus troposphere
Troposphere
The troposphere is the lowest portion of Earth's atmosphere. It contains approximately 80% of the atmosphere's mass and 99% of its water vapor and aerosols....
change. In addition he provides insights to the geological time scale of global warming.
Publications
- Dessler, A.E., and E.A. Parson. 2006. The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change: A guide to the debate. Cambridge University Press.
- Wong, S., and A.E. Dessler. 2005. Suppression of Deep Convection over the Tropical North Atlantic by the Saharan Air Layer. Geophysical Research Letters 32, L09808, DOI: 10.1029/2004GL022295.
- Dessler, A.E., and S.C. Sherwood. 2004. The effect of convection on the summertime extratropical lower stratosphere. Journal of Geophysical ResearchJournal of Geophysical ResearchThe Journal of Geophysical Research is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Geophysical Union 80 times per year. It contains original research on the physical, chemical, and biological processes that contribute to the understanding of the Earth, Sun, and solar system...
109(D23), D23301, DOI: 10.1029/2004JD005209. - Minschwaner, K., and A.E. Dessler. 2004. Water vapor feedback in the tropical upper troposphere: Model results and observations. Journal of ClimateJournal of ClimateThe Journal of Climate is a scientific journal published by the American Meteorological Society.The journal publishes articles on climate research, in particular those concerned with large-scale atmospheric and oceanic variability, changes in the climate system , and climate simulation and...
17:1272-1282. - Sherwood, S.C., and A.E. Dessler. 2001. A model for transport across the tropical tropopause. Journal of the Atmospheric SciencesJournal of the Atmospheric SciencesThe Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences is a scientific journal published by the American Meteorological Society...
58:765-779. - Sherwood, S.C., and A.E. Dessler. 2000. On the control of stratospheric humidity. Geophysical Research Letters 27:2513-2516.
- Dessler, A.E. 2000. The Chemistry and Physics of Stratospheric Ozone. Academic Press.