MIAMI METEOROLOGIST RECEIVES NOAA’S DAVID JOHNSON AWARD

Jason Dunion, a meteorologist and atmospheric researcher from Miami, received the prestigious NOAA-David S. Johnson Award, which recognizes young scientists for their innovative use of environmental satellite data at the 48th Annual Goddard Memorial Dinner on April 1 in Washington, D.C.

The NOAA-Johnson Award, first presented in 1999, is named after the first NOAA assistant administrator for the Satellite and Information Service, honors professional scientists, who create new uses for observational satellite data to better predict atmospheric, oceanic and terrestrial conditions.

Dunion works at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science/Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, and is assigned to NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division. CIMAS is a NOAA cooperative institute that works with NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, part of NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.

“We are proud to have an award like this to recognize the innovative and outstanding work by scientists like Jason, who are using NOAA satellite data to improve our understanding of the environment,” said Gregory W. Withee, assistant administrator for NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service.

In the late 1990s, Dunion used satellite data to create a real-time product to track the motion of tropical waves, and to research sea-surface temperature and ozone. Recently, Dunion has worked to develop new satellite products for monitoring tropical cyclones, including multi-spectral satellite imagery for tracking the Saharan Air Layer and its interactions with Atlantic hurricanes; shortwave infrared satellite-derived winds from NOAA’s geostationary operational environmental satellites and several satellite-based analysis tools for forecasting tropical storms.

NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation’s coastal and marine resources.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov