Hisashi Nakamura
Commendation
For outstanding contributions to understanding of atmospheric circulation systems and air-sea interactions, and disseminating knowledge on social impacts of climate change
A list of five representative papers
- H. Nakamura, T. Sampe, A. Goto, W. Ohfuchi, S.-P. Xie: On the importance of midlatitude oceanicfrontal zones for the mean state and dominant variability in the tropospheric circulation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35(15), L15709, doi:10.1029/2008GL034010, 2008.
- K. Takaya, H. Nakamura: Mechanisms of intraseasonal amplification of the cold Siberian High. J. Atmos. Sci., 62(12), 4423-4440, 2005.
- K. Takaya, H. Nakamura: A formulation of a phase-independent wave-activity flux of stationary and migratory quasi-geostrophic eddies on a zonally-varying basic flow. J. Atmos. Sci., 58(6), 608-627,2001.
- H. Nakamura, G. Lin, T. Yamagata: Decadal climate variability in the North Pacific during the recentdecades. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 78(10), 2215-2225, 1997.
- H. Nakamura: Midwinter suppression of baroclinic wave activity in the Pacific. J. Atmos. Sci., 49(17),1629-1642, 1992.
Major achievements
Dr. Nakamura has deepened our understanding of the formation and maintenance mechanisms of various types of atmospheric variability, such as modulations in the activity of mid-latitude migratory cyclone and anticyclones that influence daily weather and the formation of westerly jetstreams, blocking anticyclones that are the main cause of extreme weather in the mid- and high latitudes, and atmospheric teleconnection patterns. In addition, his formulation of diagnostics for the energy propagation of stationary Rossby waves has greatly influenced the international research community of atmospheric and climate variability. Noteworthily, he challenged the conventional notion that the mid-latitude oceans only respond passively to atmospheric variability, including teleconnection from the Tropics, which has led to a new paradigm that the mid-latitude oceans play an active role in the formation and variability of the climate system for the creation of a new research field of “extratropical ocean-atmosphere interactions”. Furthermore, he has also led the analysis of the causes of extreme weather events in Japan, in disseminating the fact to the society that the global warming influences recent events of heavy rainfall and heat waves. Thus, he has made outstanding research achievements in the fields of climate dynamics and atmospheric circulation dynamics. He has also made outstanding contributions to the development of Earth and planetary sciences and to the promotion of international collaborations.
Nominator
Masami Nonaka