Congratulations to our 2020 AMOS award winners !
Uwe Radok Award is for the best PhD thesis in the AMOS fields of oceanography , glaciology or climatology , awarded in Australia . It honours the contributions of Dr Uwe Radok , who was one of Australia ’ s pioneers in meteorological and glaciological research . He was Head of the Department of Meteorology at the University of Melbourne from 1960 to 1977 and played a leading role in the development of Australian Antarctic meteorology and glaciology .
The Uwe Radok Award for the best PhD thesis of 2019 was awarded to Dr Alessandro Silvano , who recently completed his PhD at the University of Tasmania under the supervision of Steve Rintoul . Alessandro ' s PhD focuses on ocean-ice shelf interaction at the Totten Glacier . Through analysis of data from CTD , ADCP , moorings , satellite altimetry , profiling floats , atmospheric reanalyses , stable isotopes and numerical model simulations , he showed that this part of East Antarctica is exposed to warm ocean waters , which explains the rapid basal melt rates inferred from satellite data . His results suggest increased glacial meltwater input in a warming climate will both reduce Antarctic Bottom Water formation and trigger increased mass loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet , with consequences for the global overturning circulation and sea level rise . Alessandro published five papers from his PhD .
The Meyers Medal acknowledges high-quality and innovative contributions of young researchers in the early stages of their academic career to the AMOS sciences . The Medal honours the memory of Dr Gary Meyers who was a highly respected leader of scientists , a gracious and generous mentor , as well as being an innovative researcher in his own right .
The 2020 Meyers Medal was awarded to Dr Acacia Pepler , a scientist at the Bureau of Meteorology . Acacia is an innovative contributor to the AMOS sciences and scientific community in Australia , both during and since her PhD , particularly in the field of natural hazards . She is already recognised as a leading expert on the climatology of East Coast Lows . Acacia has also recently published many highly valuable papers on other topics including compound events , high pressure systems and bushfire weather . She has written numerous articles in The Conversation and has conducted media interviews and invited talks about these severe weather systems in recent years . With 41 publications and an h-index of 12 , Acacia is sought out for her impressive contributions to discussions at the national level on extremes research . She is collegial and an active collaborator within CLEX , as well as a strong supporter and active member of AMOS .
The Morton Medal recognises leadership in meteorology , oceanography , climate and related fields — particularly through education and the development of young scientists , and through the building of research environments in Australia . The Medal recognises the achievements of Bruce Rutherfurd Morton , who was a professor of applied mathematics at Monash University from 1967 until his retirement in 1991 . Bruce was a true mentor to his students and young colleagues .*
The 2020 Morton Medal was awarded to Professor Matthew England from the University of New South Wales . Matt is recognised internationally as one of the world ' s foremost experts in ocean and climate science , with important discoveries in water-mass formation , ocean-atmosphere interaction , climate modes of variability and ocean ventilation . He has substantially advanced our knowledge of the tropical , mid-latitude and Southern Oceans and their role in climate and climate variability . In the past 25 years he mentored 70 young scientists within his team , as well as many others nationally and internationally . Matt is highly successful in establishing and building research environments in Australia , including the UNSW Climate Change Research Centre ( CCRC ) in 2006 . In 2020 , Matt was announced as the Deputy Director ( Research ) for the successful $ 20M ARC Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science ( ACEAS ) and he also established the International Universities Climate Alliance ( IUCA ). In the past 30 years , as an active member of AMOS , Matt was instrumental in integrating the Australian oceanographic community into our society .
The Gibbs Medal recognises long and distinguished service to operational forecasting . The Medal honours the contributions of ex-Director of Meteorology WJ ( Bill ) Gibbs in shaping and transforming operational meteorology in the Bureau of Meteorology in the 1960s and 1970s .
The 2020 Gibbs Medal was awarded to Philip King . Throughout his career as a professional meteorologist in the Bureau of Meteorology Phil set very high standards for himself and those he works with , while always working in a way that is constructive and collaborative . He was the forecaster in charge in the Regional Forecasting Centre on Black Saturday , on 7th February 2009 , where the accurate predictions for the arrival of the wind change at critical locations exemplified the outstanding performance of the Bureau on that day . In the Victorian Regional Office Phil developed an initiative for changing the operational workflow , colloquially known as ' Project Phil ', which led to the adoption of a more flexible attitude and approach to staffing of operations , focusing staff resources more closely on the highimpact events and conversely freeing up some staff resource during quieter times . Phil played an active role in the Bureau ' s Fatigue Management where he was proactive in implementing practices to meet and enhance operational needs , as well as providing for the health and safety of his colleagues . He is currently the Manager Major Airports in the Bureau ' s Aviation , Land and Maritime Transport Program .
* Thanks to Peter G Baines who informed AMOS that a seat in the Royal Botanic Gardens ( South Yarra ) is marked in memory of Bruce and Alison Morton , who
both died in 2012 — Ed .