Vernon Francis Dvorak (November 15, 1928 – September 19, 2022) was an American meteorologist. He studied meteorology at the University of California, Los Angeles and wrote his Master thesis An investigation of the inversion-cloud regime over the subtropical waters west of California in 1966. In 1973 he developed the Dvorak technique to analyze tropical cyclones from satellite imagery.[1] He worked with the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service. He lived in Ojai, California, until his death on September 19, 2022.
Vernon F. Dvorak | |
|---|---|
 Dvorak in the 1970s | |
| Born | November 15, 1928 Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | September 19, 2022 (aged 93) Ojai, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Known for | Developing the Dvorak technique |
| Awards | United States Department of Commerce Meritorious Service award (1972) National Weather Association Lifetime Achievement (2002) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Meteorology |
| Thesis | An investigation of the inversion-cloud regime over the subtropical waters west of California (1966) |
Life and career
Vernon Francis Dvorak was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on November 15, 1928.[2][3][4][5][6]
Dvorak's most influential work was the creation of the Dvorak technique, a method of estimating tropical cyclone intensity using infrared satellite. The Dvorak technique is credited as "fundamentally [enhancing] the ability to monitor tropical cyclones on a global scale."[7] The method provides an invaluable tool in monitoring these systems given the limitations of direct measurements on such a vast scale.[7]
Dvorak married Joanne Foyola Schafroth in Los Angeles in January 1958.[5] He died on September 19, 2022, at the age of 93.[6][7][8]
Selected works
- Dvorak, Vernon F. (February 1973). A technique for the analysis and forecasting of tropical cyclone intensities from satellite pictures (Technical report). NOAA Technical Memorandum NESS. 45.
- Dvorak, Vernon F. (September 1984). Tropical cyclone intensity analysis using satellite data (Technical report). NOAA Technical Memorandum NESDIS. 11.
- Jixi, Jiang; Dvorak, Vernon F. (May 1987). Tropical cyclone center locations from enhanced infrared satellite imagery (Technical report). NOAA Technical Memorandum NESDIS. 18.
- Dvorak, Vernon F.; Mogil, H. Michael (1994). Tropical cyclone motion forecasting using satellite water vapor imagery (Technical report). NOAA Technical Memorandum NESDIS. 83.
Awards
Dvorak was a recipient of a United States Department of Commerce Meritorious Service award in 1972[9] and in 2002 he received a Special Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Weather Association.[10]