Who is 81-year-old Veerabhadran Ramanathan? The Indian scientist who's won the ‘Nobel of Geosciences’

A scientist who quietly shaped our understanding of climate change has now been recognized globally. At 81, Veerabhadran Ramanathan, an Indian-origin researcher, has won the prestigious Crafoord Prize, often called the “Nobel of Geosciences.” His work over decades has not only changed how scientists see the atmosphere but also influenced policies that protect the planet.

From India to the United States

He grew up in southern India and studied engineering in Bengaluru. According to a report by CNN, in his 20s, he moved to the United States to pursue higher studies. Early in his career, he worked at a refrigeration company, checking cooling gases for leaks. That seemingly ordinary job became the starting point for discoveries that would later reshape climate science.

The discovery that changed climate science

In the 1970s, while working at NASA Langley Research Center, he began a side project that he pursued quietly. As per the CNN report, he found that chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, chemicals used in refrigerators and air conditioners, trap heat in the atmosphere. His calculations showed that a single CFC molecule could warm the planet as much as thousands of carbon dioxide molecules.

According to the report, his paper, published in Science in 1975, made headlines and challenged the scientific community. This was the first evidence that greenhouse gases other than CO2 could drive global warming.

Trace gases and faster global warming

Before this, carbon dioxide was seen as the main concern. His later research showed that other trace gases like CFCs, methane, and nitrous oxide also play a critical role.

A paper he co-authored in 1985 warned that these gases could accelerate global warming much faster than previously thought, as mentioned in the CNN report.

This research helped push for the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which banned CFCs and prevented additional warming.

Observing the atmosphere directly

He did not stop at theory. Using satellites, balloons, drones, and ships, he studied Earth’s atmosphere directly. He showed how clouds cool the planet, how water vapor can amplify warming, and how pollution over South Asia temporarily masked the effects of climate change.

According to the report, he also led research on a three-kilometer-thick layer of polluted air over the Indian subcontinent, known as atmospheric brown clouds, giving scientists new insights into climate and air pollution.

Adviser to popes and policymakers

As mentioned in the CNN report, in 2012, he joined the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and advised three popes on climate issues, combining science with ethics and highlighting how the poor are most affected by climate change.

Modern approach to climate action

Now living in California, he drives an electric car and uses solar power at home. But he rarely focuses on individual actions. Instead, he encourages young people to influence change through leadership and policy.

As quoted by CNN, he advises them to “stand up and elect the right politicians” and to spread the word “using data-based, not junk, science.”
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