Owen Toon
Encyclopedia
Owen Brian Toon is professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and a fellow at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado
. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University
in 1975; his adviser was Carl Sagan
. His research interest is in cloud physics, atmospheric chemistry and radiative transfer. He also works on comparing Earth with other planets such as Venus
.
His research on the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs led to the discovery of nuclear winter
due to the major decrease in temperature. The effects of nuclear winter were re-examined in a 2006 presentation at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, where Toon and colleagues found that even a regional nuclear war could prove deadly for a large number of people. They calculated that as few as 50 detonations of Hiroshima-size bombs could kill as many as 20 million people, although it would not produce a nuclear winter. The atmospheric effects of a regional nuclear war would last several years, and would be strongest at mid-latitudes
, including the United States and Europe.
He was elected a fellow of the American Meteorological Society
in 1990, and a fellow of the American Geophysical Union
in 1992.
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1975; his adviser was Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
. His research interest is in cloud physics, atmospheric chemistry and radiative transfer. He also works on comparing Earth with other planets such as Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
.
His research on the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs led to the discovery of nuclear winter
Nuclear winter
Nuclear winter is a predicted climatic effect of nuclear war. It has been theorized that severely cold weather and reduced sunlight for a period of months or even years could be caused by detonating large numbers of nuclear weapons, especially over flammable targets such as cities, where large...
due to the major decrease in temperature. The effects of nuclear winter were re-examined in a 2006 presentation at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, where Toon and colleagues found that even a regional nuclear war could prove deadly for a large number of people. They calculated that as few as 50 detonations of Hiroshima-size bombs could kill as many as 20 million people, although it would not produce a nuclear winter. The atmospheric effects of a regional nuclear war would last several years, and would be strongest at mid-latitudes
Mid-latitudes
The mid-latitudes are the areas on earth between the tropics and the polar regions, approximately 30° to 60° north or south of the equator. The mid-latitudes are an important region in meteorology, having weather patterns which are generally distinct from weather in the tropics and the polar...
, including the United States and Europe.
He was elected a fellow of the American Meteorological Society
American Meteorological Society
The American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
in 1990, and a fellow of 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...
in 1992.