Ian is a Professor in the School of Earth Sciences at The University of Melbourne. He teaches at all levels in the School’s program, as well as participating in courses outside the School. He has a very active research program and supervises many students in their Honours and PhD research. Among the topics of his research are the temporal variability of rainfall and soil hydrology over Australia and other continents, various Antarctic and Arctic researches, and the development and use of climate models.
Ian Simmonds also has interests in the behaviour and influence of Antarctic sea ice, and in the distribution and behaviour of ‘Greenhouse’ trace gases. Other topics to which he has devoted attention include the characteristics of synoptic systems over the Southern Hemisphere, the variations and trends in snow cover over the Northern Hemisphere, and in the study of urban climates and air quality.
He has published over 160 scientific papers on these topics in international peer-reviewed journals, and these have been cited in excess of 5200 times (with a ‘h-index’ of 41) on Web of Science. Ian was awarded the inaugural Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society Medal which recognizes ‘… leadership in meteorology, oceanography, climate and related fields in Australia, particularly through education and the development of young scientists, through the building of research environments and through personal example in research.
Ian's research is funded through many bodies including the Australian Research Council, and the Antarctic Science Advisory Committee
Awards
Education and training
BSc,
Monash University
PhD,
Flinders University of South Australia
Awards and honors
The International Journal of Climatology Award for 2008, Royal Meteorological Society,
2009
(Inaugural) Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society Medal 2000. Leadership in meteorology, oceanography, and climate., Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society,
2000
Ian Simmonds has a very active research program and supervises many students in their masters and PhD research. Among the topics of his research are the temporal variability of rainfall and soil hydrology over Australia and other continents, various Antarctic and Arctic researches, and the development and use of climate models.
Ian also has interests in the behaviour and influence of Antarctic sea ice, the consequences of the rapid loss of Arctic sea ice, and in the distribution and behaviour of ‘Greenhouse’ trace gases. Other topics to which he has devoted attention include the characteristics of synoptic systems over the Southern Hemisphere, the variations and trends in snow cover over the Northern Hemisphere, and in the study of urban climates and air quality.
Over 40 PhD students have obtained their degrees under his supervision.