William Richard Peltier
Encyclopedia
William Richard Peltier, Ph.D.
, D.Sc.
(hc
) http://newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca/news.php?id=4861 (born 1943), is a university professor of physics at the University of Toronto
. He is director of the Centre for Global Change Science http://www.cgcs.utoronto.ca/ and principal investigator of the Polar Climate Stability Network http://www.pcsn.ca/. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
and of the American Geophysical Union
.
His research interests include: atmospheric and oceanic waves and turbulence, geophysical fluid dynamics, physics of the planetary interior, and planetary climate.
He is notable for his involvement in global glacial reconstructions from the last glacial maximum
to present. He has been a major (or the primary) contributor to the global reconstructions ICE-3G, ICE-4G, ICE-5G (VM2), and the upcoming ICE-6G (VM5) (in press). These models are important for the quantification of post-glacial rebound
and late Pleistocene
to Holocene
variations in sea level
.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, D.Sc.
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
(hc
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
) http://newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca/news.php?id=4861 (born 1943), is a university professor of physics at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. He is director of the Centre for Global Change Science http://www.cgcs.utoronto.ca/ and principal investigator of the Polar Climate Stability Network http://www.pcsn.ca/. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
and of the American Geophysical Union
American Geophysical Union
The American Geophysical Union is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting of over 50,000 members from over 135 countries. AGU's activities are focused on the organization and dissemination of scientific information in the interdisciplinary and international field of geophysics...
.
His research interests include: atmospheric and oceanic waves and turbulence, geophysical fluid dynamics, physics of the planetary interior, and planetary climate.
He is notable for his involvement in global glacial reconstructions from the last glacial maximum
Last Glacial Maximum
The Last Glacial Maximum refers to a period in the Earth's climate history when ice sheets were at their maximum extension, between 26,500 and 19,000–20,000 years ago, marking the peak of the last glacial period. During this time, vast ice sheets covered much of North America, northern Europe and...
to present. He has been a major (or the primary) contributor to the global reconstructions ICE-3G, ICE-4G, ICE-5G (VM2), and the upcoming ICE-6G (VM5) (in press). These models are important for the quantification of post-glacial rebound
Post-glacial rebound
Post-glacial rebound is the rise of land masses that were depressed by the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, through a process known as isostasy...
and late Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
to Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
variations in sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
.
Education
- 1967 B.Sc., University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
- 1969 M.Sc. in Physics, University of Toronto
- 1971 Ph.D. in Physics, University of Toronto
Teaching appointments
- 1971-72 Lecturer, Department of Physics, University of Toronto
- 1973-74 Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, University of Toronto
- 1974-77 Associate Professor, Department of Physics, University of Toronto
- 1978 Visiting Professor, Geophysics and Space Physics, U.C.L.A.
- 1978-79 Steacie Fellowship Leave, NCAR, Boulder, Colorado
- 1977-79 Associate Professor, Department of Physics, University of Toronto
- 1979-93 Full Professor, Department of Physics, University of Toronto
- 1987-88 Guggenheim Fellowship Leave, DAMTP and Bullard Laboratories, Cambridge University, U.K.
- 1993- University Professor, University of Toronto
- 2002-2003 Sabbatical Leave, Professeur Invité, Institute de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris VIIUniversity of ParisThe University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
- 2004 Professor Invité, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris VII
- 2005–present Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of WaterlooUniversity of WaterlooThe University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
Honours and awards
- Distinguished Lecturer of the Canadian Geophysical UnionCanadian Geophysical UnionThe Canadian Geophysical Union/Union géophysique canadienne began as a society dedicated to the scientific study of the solid earth and has evolved into one that is concerned with all aspects of the physical study of Earth and its space environment, including the Sun and solar system...
, 1999–2000 - Elected as Foreign Member to Fellowship in the Norwegian Academy of Science and LettersNorwegian Academy of Science and LettersThe Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway.-History:The University of Oslo was established in 1811. The idea of a learned society in Christiania surfaced for the first time in 1841. The city of Throndhjem had no university, but had a learned...
, 2004 - Bancroft AwardBancroft AwardThe Bancroft Award is an award of the Royal Society of Canada "given for publication, instruction, and research in the earth sciences that have conspicuously contributed to public understanding and appreciation of the subject". It is named in honour of Joseph Austin Bancroft . It is awarded...
of the Royal Society of Canada, 2004 - J. Tuzo Wilson MedalJ. Tuzo Wilson MedalThe J. Tuzo Wilson Medal is given out annually by the Canadian Geophysical Union to recognize scientists who have made an outstanding contribution to the field of geophysics in Canada. Factors taken into account in the selection process include excellence in scientific or technical research,...
of the Canadian Geophysical Union, 2004 - Vetlesen PrizeVetlesen PrizeThe Vetlesen Prize is awarded from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation.-Background:The Vetlesen Prize has been described as an attempt to establish an equivalent of a Nobel award for geophysics or geology...
, 2004 - Leiv Erikson Fellow, Norwegian Research Council, Bjerknes Institute for Climate Research, Univ. of Bergen, 2006
- Miroslaw Romanowski Medal of the Royal Society of Canada, 2006
- Milutin Milankovic Medal of the European Geosciences UnionEuropean Geosciences UnionThe European Geosciences Union is an interdisciplinary non-profit learned society open to individuals who are professionally engaged in or associated with geosciences, planetary and space sciences, and related studies.The mission statement of the EGU is "Dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in...
, 2008 web announcement - Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science of The Franklin Institute, 2010
External links
- Home page of Dr. Peltier
- University Professor page for Dr. Peltier
- Science Watch #5 most cited in geosciences, 1991-2001
- March 27, 2007 Toronto Star article "Reassessing the gravity of the situation" http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/195734