Richard C. J. Somerville

Somerville is Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Research Professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. His research is focused on critical physical processes in the climate system, especially the role of clouds and the important feedbacks that can occur as clouds change with a changing climate. His broader interests include all aspects of climate, including climate science outreach and the interface between science and public policy. He was a coordinating lead author of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

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Articles by Richard C. J. Somerville

Analysis
14 January 2013
Climate ChangeNuclear EnergyNuclear Weapons

An open letter to President Obama: The time on the Doomsday Clock is five minutes to midnight

Robert SocolowThomas RosenbaumLynn EdenRod EwingAlexander GlaserSivan KarthaEdward "Rocky" Kolb Leon LedermanRamamurti RajaramanRobert RosnerJennifer SimsRichard C. J. SomervilleElizabeth J. Wilson

Editor's note: Founded in 1945 by University of Chicago scientists who had helped develop the first atomic weapons in the Manhattan Project, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists subsequently created the Doomsday Clock in 1947 using the imagery of apocalypse (midnight) and the contemporary idiom of nuclear explosion (countdown to zero), to convey threats to humanity and the planet.

Opinion
13 August 2012
Climate Change

Climate change, irreversibility, and urgency

Richard C. J. Somerville

Climate scientists like to think of themselves as wise planetary physicians, explaining to the world what they have learned about climate and advising humanity on how to cope with the challenge of climate change. This metaphor can also appear attractive to policymakers and the public. Consider the appealing similarities between deciding what you should do about your weight and what the world should do about global warming. You can ask your doctor's opinion, but it is you who will determine your target weight. You can also ask your physician to recommend actions to reach that target.

Opinion
23 July 2010
Climate Change

The passing of a climate prodigy

Richard C. J. Somerville

A towering figure in climate science, Stephen H. Schneider, 65, died of an apparent heart attack on July 19, 2010, while flying to London from a conference in Stockholm. The loss of Schneider, a professor at Stanford University, deprives the world of both an outstanding researcher and a gifted science communicator. To his colleagues in climate science, Steve, as everybody called him, has long been known as a scientific pioneer and a role model.

Opinion
7 January 2008
Climate Change

Reflections on the U.N. climate change negotiations in Bali

Richard C. J. Somerville

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), long regarded as the single most trustworthy source of information on climate science, states unequivocally that Earth's climate is warming rapidly and that we're now more than 90 percent certain that human activities have caused most of the observed warming in recent decades. The research behind these findings, published in the IPCC's landmark 2007 report, is rock-solid science.