Sir Duncan John Wingham (born 12 October 1957) is a British physicist who is professor of climate physics at
University College London
University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...
, and was the first director of the
Centre for Polar Observation & Modelling. He is chief executive of the
Natural Environment Research Council
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is a British Research Councils UK, research council that supports research, training and knowledge transfer activities in the environmental sciences.
History
NERC began in 1965 when several envir ...
and principal scientist for the
CryoSat Satellite Mission.
In the 1990s, Wingham was involved in a four-year satellite study of the Antarctic ice sheet. His conclusion then, and from later research, is that the Antarctic has contributed little to observed rising
sea levels in the 20th century. However, he has also stated that "it is possible that the consequences of
global warming
Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes ...
on
sea level rise
The sea level has been rising from the end of the last ice age, which was around 20,000 years ago. Between 1901 and 2018, the average sea level rose by , with an increase of per year since the 1970s. This was faster than the sea level had e ...
have been underestimated... Other sources of rise must be underestimated. In particular it is possible that the effect of global warming on thermal expansion
n the oceansis larger than we thought".
In a 2005 interview Wingham stated "
e Antarctic is to some extent insulated from global warming because to its north are zonal flows in the atmosphere and ocean, unimpeded by other landmasses... I am not denying global warming."
Wingham was
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity.
The concept of a knighthood ...
in the
2020 New Year Honours
The 2020 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebratio ...
for services to climate science.
References
External links
UKRI
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom that directs research and innovation funding, funded through the science budget of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. ...
Professor Duncan Wingham
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wingham, Duncan
1957 births
Living people
English physicists
Natural Environment Research Council
Knights Bachelor