C. W. Thornthwaite

Charles Warren Thornthwaite
Image of bronze circular medal in dark blue velvet. The medal includes the text "The American Geographical Society of New York" in all capital letters around the edge of the medal. The center image on the medal is a man standing on a boat looking to his left with a bird on the left.
Thornthwaite's Cullum Geographical Medal received in 1959.
Born(1899-03-07)March 7, 1899[1]
Pinconning, Michigan, US
DiedJune 11, 1963(1963-06-11) (aged 64)[1]
Arlington County, Virginia, US[2]
Occupation(s)geographer, climatologist
Known forThornthwaite climate classification, soil climate analysis, studies of potential evapotranspiration

Charles Warren Thornthwaite (March 7, 1899 – June 11, 1963) was an American geographer and climatologist. He is best known for devising the Thornthwaite climate classification, a climate classification system modified in 1948 that is still in use worldwide, and also for his detailed water budget computations of potential evapotranspiration.

He was Professor of Climatology at Johns Hopkins University, adjunct professor at Drexel University, President of the Commission for Climatology of the World Meteorological Organization, a recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award of the Association of American Geographers, and the Cullum Geographical Medal from the American Geographical Society.

  1. ^ a b Leighly, John (1964). "CHARLES WARREN THORNTHWAITE, MARCH 7, 1899–JUNE 11, 1963 1". Annals of the Association of American Geographers. 54 (4): 615–621. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8306.1964.tb01789.x. ISSN 0004-5608.
  2. ^ Yalda, Sepideh (2018). "Thornthwaite, Charles Warren". Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Charles Scribner's Sons.