Kevin E. Trenberth

Kevin E. Trenberth is a Distinguished Scholar at the National Center of Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, and an Honorary Academic in the Department of Physics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. A leading climate scientist with over five decades of research experience, Trenberth has made seminal contributions to our understanding of climate variability, climate change, and the global energy and water cycles. He served as a lead author for three consecutive Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Scientific Assessment reports (1995, 2001, 2007) and shared in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the IPCC.

Dr. Trenberth's research career has focused on empirical climate diagnostics and quantitative analysis of the Earth's climate system. His most influential work has centered on resolving Earth's global energy budget, improving estimates of heat and water transports, and understanding how these systems are changing with global warming. He has been a primary advocate for developing a comprehensive climate information system essential for climate change adaptation. His research spans interannual climate variability, El Niño, climate change impacts, the water cycle, atmospheric moisture budget, and the relationship between hurricanes and climate change.

Trenberth's scientific impact is extraordinary, with a publication record exceeding 600 works including books, journal articles, and technical reports. His citation metrics place him among the most influential environmental scientists globally, with over 180,000 citations on Google Scholar and an H-index of 138. From 1996 until 2017, he ranked first in the number of highly cited papers among all environmental scientists.

• Jule G. Charney award from the American Meteorological Society (2000)
• NCAR Distinguished Achievement Award (2003)
• Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (2013)
• Climate Communication Prize from American Geophysical Union
• Roger Revelle medal by American Geophysical Union (2017)
• Research.com Environmental Sciences Leader Awards (2023, 2025)
• Fellow of multiple prestigious scientific societies

Trenberth has served in numerous leadership roles, including on the Joint Scientific Committee of the World Climate Research Programme (1999-2006), and has contributed significantly to developing the global climate observing system. His work evaluating climate datasets and promoting reanalysis has been instrumental in advancing climate science methodology. As both a rigorous scientist and effective communicator, Trenberth has helped bridge the gap between climate science and public understanding, particularly regarding the connections between climate change and extreme weather events.