Askel C. Wiin-Nielsen
American Meteorological Society Oral History Project
The American Meteorological Society Oral History Project (AMSOHP) aims to capture the history of the atmospheric sciences as told by scientists, administrators, and others working in the field. The collection is especially rich in interviews that capture the memories of scientists who launched much of the innovative meteorological research in post-war America.
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On June 29, 1987, Joseph Tribbia, Warren Washington, and Akira Kasahara interviewed Aksel Wiin-Nielsen at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, for the AMS Tape Recorded Interview Project. Wiin-Nielsen discusses his early life, education, and influences, including the significant role his father played in shaping his interest in mathematics and physics. He recounts his academic journey at the University of Copenhagen, his early teaching experiences, and his introduction to meteorology under Ragnar Fjortoft. Wiin-Nielsen details his work on numerical weather prediction and his involvement with computational methods during the formative years of the field. The interview explores his collaborations with notable figures such as Carl-Gustaf Rossby and Bo Doos, and his contributions to meteorological research in Denmark and Sweden. Topics include the transition from graphical to computational forecasting, the establishment of meteorology as a scientific discipline, and his reflections on the evolution of the field during his career.
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