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Great Scott?

Sep 1 2001

Decades after the Montreal Protocol, there are signs the hole in the ozone layer has begun to heal

latimes.com

The 2008 TIME 100 - TIME

content.time.com

1999 National Medals of Science and Technology

scientificamerican.com

Biography

Early life

Solomon was born in Chicago, Illinois.⁹¹⁰ Her interest in science began as a child watching The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.¹¹ In high school she placed third in a national science competition, with a project that measured the percentage of oxygen in a gas mixture.¹²

Solomon received a B.S. degree in chemistry from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1977. She then received an M.S. in chemistry in 1979 followed by a Ph.D. in 1981 in atmospheric chemistry, both from the University of California, Berkeley.¹³

Personal life

Solomon married Barry Sidwell in 1988.¹⁴ She is Jewish.¹⁵

Work

Solomon was the head of the Chemistry and Climate Processes Group of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Chemical Sciences Division until 2011. In 2011, she joined the faculty of the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.¹⁶

Books

• The Coldest March: Scott's Fatal Antarctic Expedition,¹⁷ Yale University Press, 2002 ISBN 0-300-09921-5 – Depicts the tale of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's failed 1912 Antarctic expedition, specifically applying the comparison of modern meteorological data with that recorded by Scott's expedition in an attempt to shed new light on the reasons for the demise of Scott's polar party.¹⁸¹⁹
• Aeronomy of the Middle Atmosphere: Chemistry and Physics of the Stratosphere and Mesosphere, 3rd Edition, Springer, 2005 ISBN 1-4020-3284-6 – Describes the atmospheric chemistry and physics of the middle atmosphere from 10 to 100 kilometres (6.2 to 62.1 mi) altitude.²⁰
• Solomon, Susan (2024). Solvable: how we healed the earth, and how we can do it again. Chicago; London: The University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226827933.²¹

The Ozone Hole

Solomon, working with colleagues at the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratories, postulated the mechanism that the Antarctic ozone hole was created by a heterogeneous reaction of ozone and chlorofluorocarbons free radicals on the surface of ice particles in the high altitude clouds that form over Antarctica. In 1986 and 1987 Solomon led the National Ozone Expedition to McMurdo Sound, where the team gathered the evidence to confirm the accelerated reactions.²² Solomon was the solo leader of the expedition, and the only woman on the team.²³ Her team measured levels of chlorine oxide 100 times higher than expected in the atmosphere, which had been released by the decomposition of chlorofluorocarbons by ultraviolet radiation.²⁴

Solomon later showed that volcanoes could accelerate the reactions caused by chlorofluorocarbons, and so increase the damage to the ozone layer. Her work formed the basis of the U.N. Montreal Protocol, an international agreement to protect the ozone layer by regulating damaging chemicals.²⁵²⁶ Solomon has also presented some research which suggests that implementation of the Montreal Protocols is having a positive effect.²⁷²⁸

For her critical contribution to saving the ozone layer, Solomon was a winner of the 2021 Future of Life Award along with Joe Farman and Stephen O. Andersen. Jim Hansen, former Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Director of Columbia University's Program on Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions said, "In Farman, Solomon and Andersen we see the tremendous impact individuals can have not only on the course of human history, but on the course of our planet's history. My hope is that others like them will emerge in today's battle against climate change."²⁹ Professor Guus Velders, a climate scientist at Utrecht University said, "Susan Solomon is a deserving recipient of the Future of Life Award. Susan not only explained the processes behind the formation of the ozone hole, she also played an active role as an interface between the science and policy of the Montreal Protocol."³⁰

The Coldest March – A book

Using research work conducted by English explorer and navy officer Robert Falcon Scott, Solomon also wrote and spoke about Scott's 1911 expedition in The Coldest March: Scott's Fatal Antarctic Expedition³¹ to counter a longstanding argument that blamed Scott for his and his crew's demise during that expedition. Scott attributed his death to unforeseen weather conditions – a claim that has been contested by British journalist and author Roland Huntford. Huntford claimed that Scott was a prideful and under-prepared leader. Solomon has defended Scott and said that "modern data side squarely with Scott", describing the weather conditions in 1911 as unusual.³²

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Solomon served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.³³ She was a contributing author for the Third Assessment Report.³⁴ She was also co-chair of Working Group I for the Fourth Assessment Report.³⁵

Awards

• 1991 – Henry G. Houghton Award for research in physical meteorology, awarded by the American Meteorological Society³⁶³⁷
• 1994 – Solomon Saddle (78°23′S 162°39′E / 78.383°S 162.650°E / -78.383; 162.650), a snow saddle at about 1,850 metres (6,070 ft) elevation, named in her honor
• 1994 – Solomon Glacier (78°23′S 162°30′E / 78.383°S 162.500°E / -78.383; 162.500), an Antarctic glacier named in her honor
• 1999 – National Medal of Science, awarded by the President of the United States³⁸
• 2000 – Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal, awarded by the American Meteorological Society³⁹
• 2004 – Blue Planet Prize, awarded by the Asahi Glass Foundation⁴⁰
• 2006 – V. M. Goldschmidt Award⁴¹
• 2006 – Inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame⁴²
• 2007 – William Bowie Medal, awarded by the American Geophysical Union⁴³
• 2007 — Prix Georges Lemaître
• 2007 – As a member of IPCC, which received half of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, she shared a stage receiving the prize with Al Gore (who received the other half).
• 2008 – Grande Médaille (Great Medal) of the French Academy of Sciences⁴⁴
• 2008 – Foreign Member of the Royal Society⁴⁵
• 2008 – Member of the American Philosophical Society⁴⁶
• 2009 – Volvo Environment Prize, awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences⁴⁷
• 2009 – Inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame⁴⁸
• 2010 – Service to America Medal, awarded by the Partnership for Public Service⁴⁹
• 2010 – Knight of the Legion of Honor (Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur), awarded by the French government⁵⁰⁵¹
• 2012 – Vetlesen Prize, for work on the ozone hole, shared with Jean Jouzel.⁵² She was the first woman to receive this prize.⁵³
• 2013 – BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Climate Change category⁵⁴
• 2015 – Honorary Doctorate (honoris causa) from Brown University.⁵⁵
• 2017 – Arthur L. Day Prize and Lectureship by the National Academy of Sciences for substantive work in atmospheric chemistry and climate change⁵⁶
• 2018 – Bakerian Lecture⁵⁷⁵⁸
• 2018 – Crafoord Prize in Geosciences⁵⁹
• 2019 – Made one of the members of the inaugural class of the Government Hall of Fame⁶⁰
• 2021 – On 31 July she was appointed as ordinary Member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
• 2021 – 2021 Future of Life Award (Ozone Layer)⁶¹
• 2021 – NAS Award for Chemistry in Service to Society⁶²
• 2023 – Honorary Doctorate from Duke University⁶³
• 2023 – Female Innovator Prize from the VinFuture Foundation⁶⁴

External links

• Oral History Interview with Susan Solomon. (1997-09-05). American Meteorological Society Oral History Project. UCAR Archives.
• Susan Solomon publications indexed by Google Scholar

References

1. "InterViews". National Academy of Sciences. July 26, 2004. Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20150210203810/http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/podcasts/interviews/susan-solomon.html ↩

2. "People". Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences website. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://eapsweb.mit.edu/people/solos ↩

3. "InterViews". National Academy of Sciences. July 26, 2004. Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20150210203810/http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/podcasts/interviews/susan-solomon.html ↩

4. Buckley, Cara (July 18, 2024). "Solving Problems With Susan Solomon". The New York Times. Retrieved July 18, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/18/climate/susan-solomon-q-and-a.html?searchResultPosition=1 ↩

5. "Susan Solomon: Pioneering Atmospheric Scientist". Top Tens: History Makers. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. January 5, 2007. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/historymakers/solomon/welcome.html ↩

6. Svitil, Kathy (November 13, 2002). "The 50 Most Important Women in Science". Discover. Retrieved January 31, 2023. https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/the-50-most-important-women-in-science ↩

7. "The 2008 TIME 100", Time. https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1733748,00.html ↩

8. "Science and Security Board". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://thebulletin.org/about-us/science-and-security-board/ ↩

9. "Susan Solomon". Science History Institute. June 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/susan-solomon ↩

10. "Solomon, Susan (1956– ) | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020. https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/solomon-susan-1956 ↩

11. "Susan Solomon". Science History Institute. June 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/susan-solomon ↩

12. "Susan Solomon". Science History Institute. June 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/susan-solomon ↩

13. "InterViews". National Academy of Sciences. July 26, 2004. Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20150210203810/http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/podcasts/interviews/susan-solomon.html ↩

14. Oakes, Elizabeth H. (2007). Encyclopedia of world scientists. New York: Facts on File. p. 679. ISBN 9781438118826. 9781438118826 ↩

15. "MIT's Jewish environmental warrior: 'Earth has a budget'". The Jerusalem Post. September 12, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2022. https://www.jpost.com/50-most-influential-jews/susan-solomon-678152 ↩

16. Krajick, Kevin (January 14, 2013). "Two Climate Scientists Win 2012 Vetlesen Prize for Work on Ozone Hole, Ice Cores". Lamont -Doherty Earth Observatory. Retrieved February 6, 2019. http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/news-events/two-climate-scientists-win-vetlesen-prize-work-ozone-hole-ice-cores ↩

17. Solomon, S. (2001). The Coldest March: Scott's Fatal Antarctic Expedition. London: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300089677. OCLC 45661501. 9780300089677 ↩

18. MacFarlane, Robert (October 7, 2001). "In from the cold..." The Observer. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/oct/07/historybooks.highereducation ↩

19. Wheeler, Sara (September 2, 2001). "Great Scott?". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/02/books/great-scott.html ↩

20. Brasseur, Guy; Solomon, Susan (2005). Aeronomy of the middle atmosphere: chemistry and physics of the stratosphere and mesosphere. Dordrecht: Springer. ISBN 1-4020-3284-6. 1-4020-3284-6 ↩

21. Buckley, Cara (July 18, 2024). "Solving Problems With Susan Solomon". The New York Times. Retrieved July 18, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/18/climate/susan-solomon-q-and-a.html?searchResultPosition=1 ↩

22. "InterViews". National Academy of Sciences. July 26, 2004. Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20150210203810/http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/podcasts/interviews/susan-solomon.html ↩

23. Indivero, Victoria M. (Fall 2010). "Changing views on climate". Chemical Heritage Magazine. 28 (3): 13. https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/magazine/changing-views-on-climate ↩

24. Nickel, Mark (April 28, 2015). "Brown confers six honorary degrees". Brown University. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://news.brown.edu/articles/2015/04/honoraries ↩

25. "Susan Solomon". Science History Institute. June 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/susan-solomon ↩

26. Daley, Megan (June 30, 2016). "Decades after the Montreal Protocol, there are signs the hole in the ozone layer has begun to heal". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 6, 2019. http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-sci-sn-ozone-hole-healing/ ↩

27. "Ozone layer on the mend thirty years after CFCs banned". Irish Times. July 1, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/ozone-layer-on-the-mend-thirty-years-after-cfcs-banned-1.2706793 ↩

28. Solomon, S.; Ivy, D. J.; Kinnison, D.; Mills, M. J.; Neely, R. R.; Schmidt, A. (July 15, 2016). "Emergence of healing in the Antarctic ozone layer". Science. 353 (6296): 269–274. Bibcode:2016Sci...353..269S. doi:10.1126/science.aae0061. hdl:1721.1/107197. PMID 27365314. https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.aae0061 ↩

29. "Future Of Life Award". Future of Life Institute. Retrieved September 27, 2021. https://futureoflife.org/future-of-life-award/ ↩

30. "Future Of Life Award". Future of Life Institute. Retrieved September 27, 2021. https://futureoflife.org/future-of-life-award/ ↩

31. Solomon, S. (2001). The Coldest March: Scott's Fatal Antarctic Expedition. London: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300089677. OCLC 45661501. 9780300089677 ↩

32. Monastersky, Richard (September 7, 2001). "History's Cold Shoulder". The Chronicle of Higher Education: A20. /wiki/The_Chronicle_of_Higher_Education ↩

33. "InterViews". National Academy of Sciences. July 26, 2004. Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20150210203810/http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/podcasts/interviews/susan-solomon.html ↩

34. Houghton, J.T.; et al. (2001). "Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis". Third Assessment Report. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. p. 21. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://pure.mpg.de/rest/items/item_995493/component/file_995492/content ↩

35. Herbert, Betsy; et al. (2007). "Climate Change 2007 The Physical Science Basis" (PDF). Fourth Assessment Report. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Retrieved February 6, 2019. http://www.slvwd.com/agendas/Full/2007/06-07-07/Item%2010b.pdf ↩

36. "AMS Awards and Nomination Information". American Meteorological Society. Retrieved March 8, 2013. http://www.ametsoc.org/awards/index.html ↩

37. "The Henry G. Houghton Award". American Meteorological Society. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/ams/about-ams/ams-awards-honors/awards/early-career-awards/the-henry-g-houghton-award/ ↩

38. "1999 National Medals of Science and Technology". Scientific American. National Science and Technology Medals Foundation. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/1999-national-medals-of-s/ ↩

39. "AMS Awards and Nomination Information". American Meteorological Society. Retrieved March 8, 2013. http://www.ametsoc.org/awards/index.html ↩

40. "Blue Planet Prize: The Laureates". Blue Plant Prize website. Asahi Glass Foundation. Retrieved February 6, 2019. http://www.af-info.or.jp/en/blueplanet/list.html ↩

41. "V. M. Goldschmidt Award". Geochemical Society. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.geochemsoc.org/honors/awards/vmgoldschmidtaward ↩

42. "Honorees By Year of Induction". Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.cogreatwomen.org/project/susan-solomon/ ↩

43. "Susan Solomon Honored as AGU's 2007 William Bowie Medalist". Earth System Research Laboratories. July 16, 2007. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/csd/news/2007/36_0716.html ↩

44. "Remise de la Grande Médaille par Jules Hoffmann, Président de l'Académie,à Susan Solomon" (PDF). November 25, 2008. Retrieved February 6, 2019. http://www.academie-sciences.fr/archivage_site/activite/prix/s241108_hoffmann_solomon.pdf ↩

45. "Susan Solomon". Royal Society. Retrieved November 24, 2020. https://royalsociety.org/people/susan-solomon-12317/ ↩

46. "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved April 28, 2021. https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Susan+Solomon&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced ↩

47. "Susan Solomon". Volvo Environment Prize website. Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden. Retrieved February 6, 2019. http://www.environment-prize.com/laureates/by-year/2009/susan-solomon/ ↩

48. "Women of the Hall: Susan Solomon". National Women's Hall of Fame website. National Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/susan-solomon/ ↩

49. "2010 Career Achievement Medal Recipient". Service to America Medals website. Partnership for Public Service. 2010. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/news/2010/ESRLs_Susan_Solomon_Wins_Service_to_America_Medal.html ↩

50. Kiest, Kristina (November 11, 2010). "NOAA Scientist Receives French Legion of Honor Award". NOAA Research. Retrieved February 28, 2025. https://research.noaa.gov/noaa-scientist-receives-french-legion-of-honor-award/ ↩

51. "Susan Solomon earns Killian Award, MIT's highest faculty honor". MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. May 13, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2025. https://news.mit.edu/2020/susan-solomon-killian-award-0513 ↩

52. "Susan Solomon wins Vetlesen Prize – MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences". eapsweb.mit.edu. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://eapsweb.mit.edu/news/2013/susan-solomon-wins-vetlesen-prize ↩

53. "Susan Solomon wins Vetlesen Prize – MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences". eapsweb.mit.edu. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://eapsweb.mit.edu/news/2013/susan-solomon-wins-vetlesen-prize ↩

54. EAPS (January 14, 2013). "Susan Solomon wins international climate award". MIT. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://news.mit.edu/2013/susan-solomon-frontiers-of-knowledge-award ↩

55. Nickel, Mark (April 28, 2015). "Brown awards six honorary doctorates". Brown University. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://news.brown.edu/articles/2015/05/citations#Solomon ↩

56. "About the Arthur L. Day Prize and Lectureship". National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved February 6, 2019. http://www.nasonline.org/programs/awards/arthur-l-day-prize.html ↩

57. "Susan Solomon awarded the Royal Society's Bakerian Medal". mit.edu. July 18, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://news.mit.edu/2017/susan-solomon-awarded-bakerian-medal-royal-society-0718 ↩

58. "Outstanding researchers honoured by the Royal Society". The Royal Society. July 18, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://royalsociety.org/news/2017/07/top-scientists-honoured-by-the-royal-society/ ↩

59. "Crafoord Prize 2018". crafoordprize.se. January 17, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2019. https://www.crafoordprize.se/press_release/the-crafoord-prize-in-geosciences-2018 ↩

60. Tom Shoop (August 15, 2019). "Inaugural Inductees Into Government Hall of Fame Unveiled – Government Executive". Govexec.com. Retrieved August 16, 2019. https://www.govexec.com/management/2019/08/inaugural-inductees-government-hall-fame-unveiled/159156/ ↩

61. "Future Of Life Award". Future of Life Institute. Retrieved September 27, 2021. https://futureoflife.org/future-of-life-award/ ↩

62. "Susan Solomon". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved January 5, 2024. https://www.nasonline.org/programs/awards/2021-awards/Solomon.html#:~:text=The%20award%20is%20given%20in,presented%20with%20a%20$20,000%20prize. ↩

63. "Meet the 2023 Commencement Speaker, Honorary Degree Recipients". Duke Today. https://today.duke.edu/2023/03/meet-2023-commencement-speaker-honorary-degree-recipients ↩

64. Nhu, Quynh (December 21, 2023). "Battery researchers win $3M Vietnamese awards". VnExpress. https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/battery-researchers-win-3m-vietnamese-awards-4691489.html ↩