Josefino comiso autobiography for kids

scientist

Josefino Comiso is an American scientist. He was a leading physical scientist at Goddard Space Flight Center and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Background

Comiso was born on September 21, , in Narvacan, Philippines; the son of Severino Cacho Comiso and Silvestra (Cacas) Comiso. He came to the United States in

Education

Comiso received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the University of the Philippines in Four years later he earned his Master of Science degree in Physics from Florida State University. Also in , Josefino was given a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Physics from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Career

Comiso began his career as a scientist at Philippine Atomic Research Center in A year later he took a position of an instructor at the University of the Philippines, where he worked until In , Josefino became an assistant research physicist at the University of California at Los Angeles. Then in , he was appointed a research associate at the University of Virginia.

Also Comiso worked as a senior member of technical staff at Computer Sciences Corporation from to Since he has been a leading physical scientist at Goddard Space Flight Center and National Aeronautics and Space Administration. In addition, Josefino was a visiting scientist/professor at the University of the Philippines, University of Tasmania, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Chiba Universirty, Mariano Marcos University and Hadley Meteorological Institute.

Achievements

• Comiso was instrumental on a global project observing the planet for rapidly declining perennial sea ice cover, and produced a paper on the subject that has been cited over one thousand times. Comiso&#;s work has revealed the extraordinary rate at which Arctic ice is affected by global warming, at approximately three times the intensity of the global average.

Name: Josefino C. Comiso
Title: Senior research scientist
Formal Job Classification: Physical scientist
Organization: Code , Cryospheric Sciences, Earth Sciences Division, Science Directorate

Climate change, trends in sea ice and wintering in Antarctica.

What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission?

I study global climate and environmental changes as observed from space. In particular, I develop algorithms for satellite sensors and polar parameters. Using these algorithms, I develop data sets of historical satellite data, analyze the data and assess spatial and temporal changes that may be associated with climate change.

I was one of the first to use satellite data to study sea ice change. In , I reported that the sea ice cover in the Arctic at the end of the summer was declining rapidly. The following year, I observed that the temperature in the Arctic was rising three times faster than it was globally primarily due to ice albedo feedback. The feedback means that since the ice has high reflectivity and the ocean has low reflectivity, when the ice retreats, there is more ocean exposed to solar energy causing more warming. More warming means more melting which causes more ice retreat. This goes on in a loop where everything is amplified.

Why do you do fieldwork?

I do fieldwork to validate my algorithm studies. I have been to Antarctica, the Arctic, Alaska and Greenland.

Tell us about being among the first group of scientists on a winter cruise in Antarctica to conduct fieldwork.

In , I was a member of the first winter cruise in the Antarctic on board the German icebreaker, called the RV Polarstern. Although working in the Antarctic environment is difficult because of extremely harsh conditions, scientists are able to relax and recover from their daily routine because the ship was wel