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Dr. K Krishna Moorthy
Born:
Residence: India
Nationality: Indian
Known for:
Fields:
Institutions:
Alma mater:
Years active:
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Dr. Krishnaswamy Krishnamoorthy

Dr. Krishnaswamy Krishnamoorthy, popularly known as K K Moorthy is an atmospheric scientist and former Director of the Space Physics Laboratory (SPL) of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO. An experimentalist by profession, with expertise in conceiving and executing large field campaigns and implementing co-ordinated national experimental programs, Dr. Moorthy led to the establishment of a national network of aerosol observatories (ARFINET, under the 'Aerosol Radiative Forcing over India - ARFI' project of ISRO-GBP) covering the Indian Mainland and adjoining islands from Trivandrum in the south to Hanle (at 4.5 km above sea level) in the northern Himalayas, and from Nalia in the west to Dibrugarh in the East, with inter-institutional and University collaboration and collective teamwork. In the capacity as a director, Dr. Moorthy diversified and strengthened the Space and Planetary research component of Space Physics Laboratory, in addition to immensely contributing to extensive capacity building in the field of the science of atmospheric aerosols. He was pioneer in the proliferation of atmospheric aerosol research over the south Asian region establishing the concept of regional aerosol characterization through the study of microphysics and radiative Transfer, in addition to contributing to the study of aerosol impact on snow and glaciers and new particle formation.
The conceptualization and realization of a Multi-Wavelength Solar Radiometer (MWR) is one of the major milestones of Dr. Moorthy. MWR measurements are used to estimate columnar aerosol optical depth (AOD), an important parameter for understanding the climatic implication of atmospheric aerosols.

Education

• Master of Science in Physics with wireless as special subject, University of Kerala, 1972
• Doctor of Philosophy, (Physics) in Faculty of Science, Thesis Title: "Equatorial Ionospheric Scintillations", University of Kerala, 1986

Career

Moorthy started his career as an ionospheric scientist.

Patent

Sun-tracking radiometer – Filed with the Chennai patent office (NO:1216/CHE/2009 dated. 26-05-2009); the only one from SPL

Awards

• Astronautical Society of India - ISRO Award for 2010 in the "Space Sciences and Applications" discipline (Awarded: 2013)
• KR Ramanathan Medal from INSA - 2011
• Elected Fellow, National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad, India (since 2009)
• Elected Fellow, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, India (since 2008)
• Elected Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore since (2005)
• First PRL award for outstanding contributions in the area of Earth and Planetary sciences, including Oceans (in 1998)
• Lead author to the paper, selected for the WMO Young Scientist Award 2002
• Best Paper award, middle atmospheric sciences in the National Space Sciences Symposium, 1997
• Second Best Paper awards in the national space sciences symposia of 1992 & 1990
• Reviewer, Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), IPCC, since 2011

Other Recognition

• Member, Sectional Committee for Earth and Planetary Science, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, since 2010
• Member, Sectional Committee for Earth. Planetary and Space Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, since 2011
• Editor, Advances in Meteorology (special issue on aerosols), since 2009
• Associated Editor, Journal of Earth System Science, since 2006
• Member, Editorial Board, Indian Journal of Radio and Space Physics, since 2011
• Member, Advisory Committee for the UGC sponsored Centre for Advanced Studies, Andhra University since 2006
• Member, Academic Council, Cochin University of Science and Technology
• Recognized Research guide: of 4 Universities across the Nation
• Invited and invited guest faculty to SERC Schools and refresher courses