Articles | Volume 6, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-6-87-2015
https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-6-87-2015
Review article
 | 
11 Sep 2015
Review article |  | 11 Sep 2015

The shaping of climate science: half a century in personal perspective

R. G. Barry

Abstract. The paper traces my career as a climatologist from the 1950s and that of most of my graduate students from the late 1960s. These decades were the formative ones in the evolution of climate science. Following a brief account of the history of climatology, a summary of my early training, my initial teaching and research in the UK is discussed. This is followed by new directions at the University of Colorado, Boulder from October 1968. The history of the World Data Center for Glaciology/National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder from 1977 is described and climate-cryosphere initiatives at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). International activities and links are then reported, followed by a section on national and international committees. I then describe my activities during sabbaticals and research leaves. The paper concludes with discussion of my "retirement" activities and an epilogue.

The paper is based on a lecture given at the Roger Barry Symposium: A Chronicle of Distinction: From the Arctic to the Andes, at the University of Colorado, 10 August 2004 and updated to 2014.

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Short summary
This paper traces my climatological career from the 1950s and that of my graduate students from the late 1960s that were formative in the evolution of climate science. A summary of my early training, teaching and research in the UK is followed by activities at the University of Colorado, Boulder from 1968. The history of the World Data Center for Glaciology/National Snow and Ice Data Center from 1977 is described, and climate-cryosphere and international initiatives.