CHRISTOS S. ZEREFOS
Secretary General, Academy of Athens; Climate Envoy for Greece; Head, Research Centre for Atmospheric Physics and Climatology, Academy of Athens, Greece, zerefos@geol.uoa.gr.
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
Head, Research Centre for Atmospheric Physics and Climatology of the Academy of Athens (2008- ); Professor of Atmospheric Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece (2002-2010); Professor of Atmospheric Physics and Director of the Postgraduate Studies in Environmental Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (1979-2002); Head of the Center for Environmental Effects on Health, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens (2003- ). Scientific Collaborator (Samarbeidspartnere), University of Oslo, Norway (1995); Director of the postgraduate programme on Environmental Physics at the Physics Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1993-2002). Honorary Fellow (Fulbright Scholar), University of Minnesota, USA (1985); Visiting Professor, Physics and Astronomy Department, Boston University, Boston, USA (1983); In the past 4 decades has supervised 55 masters and more than 30 PhD theses.
HONOURS AND AWARDS
Ηas received several internationally recognized awards, among which Commander of the Order of Honour from the President of the Hellenic Republic (2020) and the French Government Decoration “Commandeur dans l’ordre de Palmes académiques” (2015). Honorary Doctorate Degree, Democritus University of Thrace (2023), Honorary Professor of the Physics Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2018), Honorary Doctorate Degree, University of Patras (2016), Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, University Division of the American College ANATOLIA, Thessaloniki (2008). Global Ozone Award, UNEP on the 10th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol (1997), Awards of the American Geophysical Union (Editors Award for Excellence in Refereeing, 1998 and Yoram Kaufman Award, 2015), of the European Academy of Sciences (Blaise Pascal Medal, 2015), UNEP Honourable Mentions (1995, 1999, 2012), “Honorary Member” of the International Ozone Commission (2016), the Gold Medal of the City of Thessaloniki (2008), Badge of Honor of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (2018), the “Ioan Ursu” Medal of the Balkan Physical Union (2018), the "European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award" awarded to the National Observatory of Athens for the establishment of the Geoastrophysics Museum and the rehabilitation of the laboratories and the Library of the National Observatory under his supervision (2010).
SELECTED MEMBERSHIP TO SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES AND COMMITTEES
Life Member, European Geosciences Union (2018- ); Secretary (2000-2008) and President (2008-2016) of the International Ozone Commission. Elected Honorary Member (2016); Member of the Consultive Committee on “Climate change, natural risks and resources” of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (2011- ); Member of the Board of Directors of the Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies, Library of Alexandria (2011- ); Vice President of the Embeirikos Foundation, Athens (2011-2013); Member of the European Academy of Sciences (2010- ); Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (2009- ); Member of the Georgian Academy of Natural Sciences (2009- ); Member of the Academia Europaea (2008- ); Member of the International Academy of Astronautics (2008- ); Member of the Academy of Athens (2007- ); Member of the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO (2006- ); Member of the EU Advisory Group: Global Change and Ecosystems for DGXII (2002-2006); Fellow of the Institute of Physics (2002- ); Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (2002- ); Member of the Environment Strategy Group (ESG) of the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) (2002- ); Member of the American Geophysical Union (1983-1999) and Life Member (since 2000); Member of the Executive Committee of the European Physical Society (EPS) (1999-2001); Member of the Chamber for Environment and Sustainability (1998- ); Foreign Member of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters (1998- ); Member of the WMO AD HOC Scientific Steering Committee on UV Monitoring and the WMO AD HOC Scientific Steering Committee on Ozone (Ozone-SAG) (1995-2000); Member of the ENRICH council of the European Communities (1992); Member of the WMO Executive Council Panel of Experts/CAS Working Group on Environmental Pollution and Atmospheric Chemistry (1991-1999).
RESEARCH POSITIONS
Head, Research Centre for Atmospheric Physics and Climatology of the Academy of Athens (2008- ); President, National Observatory of Athens (2005-2010); Professor of Atmospheric Physics and Climatology, Faculty of Geology & Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, lecturing undergraduate and graduate courses in Atmospheric Physics (2002-2010); Scientific Collaborator (Samarbeidspartnere), University of Oslo, lecturing and collaborating with colleagues at the Department of Geosciences of the University of Oslo, Norway (1995); Director of the postgraduate programme on Environmental Physics at the Physics Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, teaching 1st year course on Environmental Physics, giving seminars, supervising master’s and Ph.D. theses (1993-2002); Honorary Fellow (Fulbright Scholar) visiting Professor, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, USA (1985); Visiting Professor, Physics and Astronomy Department, Boston University, USA, lecturing the course “Our Blue Planet” (1983); Professor of Atmospheric Physics, Physics Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki lecturing undergraduate courses in Atmospheric Physics and Environmental Physics at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year levels in the Physics Department (November 1979 – July 2002); NCAR, Advanced Study Programme, Boulder, Colorado and Research Centre for Atmospheric Physics and Climatology, Academy of Athens, Greece, and NOAA Data Studies Division (1975-1980); National Hellenic Research Foundation (1972-1974).
SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS
Christos Zerefos became known in the 70s for his studies on the long- and short-term variability of ozone. The solar activity effects in the lower stratosphere, e.g., his paper with Paul
Crutzen (JGR, 1975) was one of the first studies to model the physics of solar activity-stratosphere relations. With Harry van Loon they first observed the El Nino signals in the lower
stratosphere (Mon. Weather Rev., 1982) and in the columnar ozone (JGR, 1992). His early papers on long term trends in stratospheric temperatures and total ozone include one of his most
important papers with Stolarski et al. (Science, 1992), which boosted the scientific basis for the Montreal Protocol, which led out to the phase out of halocarbons. This work has been
updated in 2014 (Zerefos et al., ACP, 2014).
His papers on the inverse relationship between ozone and UV-B, provided for the first-time evidence that UV-B had significant positive trends. “A note on the recent increase of solar UV-B
over northern mid latitudes”, GRL, 1995, “Optical properties of tropospheric aerosols …, Appl. Optics, 1997, "Spectral measurements of solar UVB radiation and its relations to total ozone,
SO2, and clouds", JGR, 1993 as well as his papers on record low total ozone anomalies and the effects of volcanic eruptions (e.g., with Bojkov “Record low total ozone during northern winters
of 1992 and 1993", GRL 1993). In the 80s Zerefos pioneered in establishing regular well calibrated observations of UV spectral irradiance worldwide. In the 90s has pioneered in the establishment
of the European UV-B observing network which started from his initiative with Anne Webb and Alkis Bais (Zerefos et al, GRL, 1997). His thorough research with the Brewer spectroradiometer led
to its establishment as a model instrument to measure columnar ozone, SO2 and UV spectral irradiances (Zerefos et al., J. Photoch. & Photobio., 1995; Zerefos et al., GRL, 1997) and with
Bais and McElroy (GRL, 1996; Appl. Optics, 1998). His papers on the inverse relationship between ozone and UV-B, provided for the first-time evidence that clear sky UV-B had significant
positive trends (GRL, 1995; Appl. Optics, 1997) as well as his papers on record low total ozone anomalies and the effects of volcanic eruptions (e.g. with Bojkov, GRL 1993).
In the 90s Zerefos has organized large EU-funded campaigns to study the processes of ozone-aerosol-radiation and photochemical interactions in the Mediterranean (PAUR Campaigns I, II and
MEDCAPHOT Campaign with Ziomas) (Zerefos et al., JGR, 1997; Balis et al., JGR, 1997; Zanis et al., JGR, 1997; Hofzumahaus et al., JGR, 1997; Kourtidis et al., JGR, 1997; Kouvarakis et al.,
JGR, 1997). In the 2000s he participated in the MATCH Campaigns joining the European group led by Rex, Schultz and others which studied ozone loss rates inside and outside of the polar vortex
(JGR, 2001; GRL, 2000, 2006). On another collaborative project with Stohl et al., studied and reviewed mechanisms of stratosphere-troposphere exchange (JGR, 2003) and with Harris he revisited
trends in stratospheric and free tropospheric ozone (JGR, 1997). Notable is his research in the variability of UV-B (GRL, 1997; GRL, 1998) and its natural fluctuations from volcanic signals in
the ozone layer (JGR, 1994). He has experimentally discovered the effects in the stratosphere of the solar eclipses of 1999 (JGR, 2000) and 2006 (ACP, 2007, 2008) presenting evidence of
atmospheric gravity waves following the supersonic transport of the moon’s shadow in the ozone layer.
Has served as review Editor of Chapter 5 of the IPCC “Aviation Report and the Global Atmosphere” (1999) and as Reviewer of the IPCC Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and
Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (2013). The paper with Sausen “Aviation radiative forcing in 2000: An update on IPCC” (Met. Z., 2005) as well as his papers in JGR, 1997, 2005;
ACP, 2003, 2012; Tellus B, 2009 in which the solar radiation ozone climate interaction and trends are studied, are included among his highly cited papers.
His pioneering work on the use of red-to-green ratios to detect aerosol in paintings by great masters (Zerefos et al, 2007, 2014) is being widely discussed in scientific and mass media globally.
Other papers include climatological-paleoclimatological studies with Luterbacher et al. (Climate Change, 2010; Environ. Res. Lett., 2016). More recently, his papers on Copernicus services and
products have been widely quoted (Inness et al., ACP, 2013, 2015; Wagner, ACP, 2015; Eskes, Geosci. Model Dev., 2015) and together with several of the previously mentioned papers have been
selected as hot spots by the editors of prestigious scientific journals.
In the past 40 years Zerefos has established a high-level long-lasting collaboration with WMO and the DG Research and Innovation of EU. He has co-organized with WMO the historic 1984 Quadrennial
Ozone Symposium where the ozone “hole” has first been presented by Chubachi and established by Farman et al. (1985) as well as the adoption of Bass and Paur ozone absorption coefficients, which
has been globally used by the global ozone observing network. Also, in collaboration with WMO, he organized the 2004 Quadrennial Ozone Symposium and other international ozone-climate symposia in
1994, 1995, 1998, 1999. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol has co-organized with WMO a Symposium in 2007 at Athens, Greece. Subsequently has co-organized with
Sophie Godin-Beekmann the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol in Paris, France (2017).
Has created from zero the WMO Northern Hemisphere Ozone Mapping Center (1991), which has served the international scientific community. This service has been appreciated by the WMO RA-VI Congress
(2-13 May 1994) and by the European Commission particularly during 1995-1996 in which reliable satellite observations were not available. Has acted as author, contributor, or reviewer in almost
all WMO/UNEP Scientific Assessments of Ozone Depletion. Co-authored more than 20 WMO related reports and has established, in collaboration with WMO, the “WMO Professor Mariolopoulos Trust Fund
Award”, created in 1996, fully financed by the Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences.
During the last years C. Zerefos continued working with the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) which is the successor of MACC and provides consistent and quality-controlled information
related to air pollution, health, greenhouse gases and climate forcing, worldwide. CAMS has been fully operational since 2015 and is one of six services that form Copernicus. The main scope of
CAMS-84 is the evaluation and quality assurance (EQA) of CAMS products. He continued participating with specific efforts targeted over the European Arctic and the Mediterranean areas. He is
presently acting in the recent successor of CAMS-84 namely CAMS2-82 which started operating in 2022. The main scope of CAMS2-82 is the evaluation and quality assurance (EQA) of CAMS global
products. Specific efforts are targeted at validation over the European, Arctic and the Mediterranean areas expanded also to China and the USA. In addition to the Copernicus system his research
activities continued with his involvement in international cooperation and participation in WMO EUMETSAT activities and he continues to collaborate with the EUMETSAT Ozone SAF (Satellite
Application Facility). This activity validates and disseminates ozone and chemistry products, among other products, in collaboration with the Physics Department, University of Thessaloniki.
Other relevant international activities in the last few years include:
- The Navarino Environmental Observatory (N.E.O.) program, a collaboration between the Academy of Athens, the University of Stockholm and the TEMES company that concerns the creation and operation of an Environmental Observatory in the area of Messinia with defined research and educational objectives.
- His proposal to the Greek Government (2019) for the creation of a flexible international mechanism to protect natural and cultural heritage monuments from climate change has been included in the emblematic UN activities by the Secretary General of the UN, H.E. Antonio Guterres. This initiative has been supported by more than 100 countries, UNESCO, the World Meteorological Organization and NGOs, such as ICOMOS and Europa Nostra. This project has attracted an international attention and several workshops and conferences have been organized in that subject.
- Following the joint proposal of Jeffrey Sachs (President, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network-SDSN), together with Professors Phoebe Koundouri (AUEB & ARC), Yannis Ioannidis (ARC) and Christos Zerefos (AA), acting as co-directors, launched on May 2022 the creation of the UN SDSN Global Climate Hub. This initiative was based on the need for governments worldwide to take immediate decisive action to reduce the impact of climate change. The goal is to provide science-based advice for combating the aggravating climate crisis and prevent further deterioration. The Climate Hub will use all extensive data, knowledge and technologies provided by experts in various fields to implement country-specific action plans to be adopted and reinforced by society.
- He is the President of the "Research Committee on the Resilience of the Greek Forest Ecosystems (E.A.D.O.)" whose purpose is to investigate the resilience of the country's forest ecosystems during specific meteorological-climatic conditions, which threaten them. The Committee deals with the past, the present and the future of climate change and its effects on the country's forest ecosystems. A special volume on the subject has been published.
- A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Hellenic Open University and the Academy of Athens (through the Research Centre for Atmospheric Physics and Climatology) concerning the studies of the effects of Climate Change on Cultural Heritage. The protocol aims at a 2-year postgraduate study program entitled "Protection of cultural and natural heritage monuments from the effects of climate change' for the period 2021-2027.
The bibliometric indices of C. Zerefos are: 281 publications with 10.168 citations (without self-citations), h-index 58 (from Web of Knowledge, January 2023) and a total of 553 publications with 16.839 citations, h-index 73 (from Google Scholar, January 2023).
Ηas received several internationally recognized awards, among which Commander of the Order of Honour from the President of the Hellenic Republic (2020) and the French Government Decoration “Commandeur dans l’ordre de Palmes académiques” (2015). Honorary Doctorate Degree, Democritus University of Thrace (2023), Honorary Professor of the Physics Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2018), Honorary Doctorate Degree, University of Patras (2016), Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, University Division of the American College ANATOLIA, Thessaloniki (2008). Global Ozone Award, UNEP on the 10th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol (1997), Awards of the American Geophysical Union (Editors Award for Excellence in Refereeing, 1998 and Yoram Kaufman Award, 2015), of the European Academy of Sciences (Blaise Pascal Medal, 2015), UNEP Honourable Mentions (1995, 1999, 2012), “Honorary Member” of the International Ozone Commission (2016), the Gold Medal of the City of Thessaloniki (2008), Badge of Honor of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (2018), the “Ioan Ursu” Medal of the Balkan Physical Union (2018), the "European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award" awarded to the National Observatory of Athens for the establishment of the Geoastrophysics Museum and the rehabilitation of the laboratories and the Library of the National Observatory under his supervision (2010).
In the past 20 years has acted as contributor or reviewer in most WMO/UNEP Scientific Assessments of Ozone Depletion (https://montrealprotocolwhoswho.org/, https://public.wmo.int, https://press.un.org/en/1997/19970910.endev445.html). Has served as review editor of Chapter 5: Solar Ultraviolet Irradiance at the Ground of IPCC “Aviation & the Global Atmosphere” Report (1999) [1][2][3]. The Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 was awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former US Vice President Al Gore. Christos Zerefos has received Award Certificate and Letter from UNEP and from IPCC for his substantial contribution to the reports of IPCC. He has also acted as reviewer, for the IPCC “Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX)” (2012) (https://archive.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/sres/aviation/index.php?idp=54, https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/03/SREX_Full_Report-1.pdf).
RESEARCH CENTERS CREATED FROM ZERO UNDER CHRISTOS ZEREFOS INITIATIVE
In the past 35 years Christos Zerefos has created from zero recognized educational and research Institutions such as: (1) The Laboratory for Atmospheric Physics, Physics Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1981) [http://lap.physics.auth.gr/] (2) The WMO Northern Hemisphere Ozone Mapping Center, Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1991) (http://lap.physics.auth.gr/ozonemaps2/), (3) The Graduate Program on Environmental Physics, Physics Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1991) (http://lap.physics.auth.gr/pms/) (4) The Center for the Environmental Effects on Health, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (2003) (http://www.bioacademy.gr/lab/zerefos), (5) The UNESCO Chair on Natural Hazards (2006-2019) (6) The Greek GEO Office of the National Observatory of Athens (2007) (https://www.greekgeo.noa.gr/) (7) The Geoastrophysics Museum, National Observatory Athens, Greece (2008) (http://www.noa.gr/museum/english/index_en.html), (8) The Navarino Environmental Observatory at Messenia, Greece together with the University of Stockholm and TEMES S.A. (2009) (https://www.navarinoneo.se/).
ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS
Secretary General of the Academy of Athens (2020- ); Focal Point for Greece, Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) of UNFCCC (2020- ); Climate Envoy for Greece (2019- ); Head, Department of Property, Academy of Athens (2019-2021); Secretary for Proceedings, Academy of Athens (2019-2020); Vice President, Research Committee, Academy of Athens (2017- ); President, General Assembly of the Greek Foundation for Research and Innovation, Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs (2017-2018); Member, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) Council (2016- ); Vice President, Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES) (2014-2016); Vice President, National Council for Research and Technology (2014-2016); Director, Greek Edition of National Geographic (2013-2014); External Member, Council of the Democritus University of Thrace (2013-2016); Chair Holder, UNESCO Chair on Natural Hazards in the Geosphere, the Hydrosphere and the Atmosphere at the National Observatory of Athens (2008-2019); President, Hellenic National Committee of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) (2008- ); Coordinator, Climate Change Impacts Study Committee of the Bank of Greece (2008- ); President, Board of Directors of “Biomedical Sciences and Technologies S.A.” of the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (2008- ); Member, High-Level Working Group of the Group on Earth Observations (2008- ); National Representative, Global Earth Observations (GEO) (2005- ); Member, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) (2005-2010); President, Board of Directors of the National Observatory of Athens (2005-2010); President, Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences (2004- ); Chairman, Scientific Council of the National Centre of Public Administration (2004-2010); National Representative, Council of the European Space Agency (2004-2006); Member, National Committee for Public Health (2003-2004); Chairman, Sectoral Scientific Council on Environment and Renewable Energy of the National Committee for Research and Technology (2003-2009); President, American Universities Alumni Association, Branch of Northern Greece (1999-2003) and Honorary President (2003- ); President, Balkan Physical Union (1997-2003); Coordinator, Balkan Environmental Research and Development Institute (B.E.R.D.I.) of the Balkan Physical Union (1992); Director of the World Meteorological Organization Northern Hemisphere Ozone Mapping Centre, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1991); State Secretary for the Environment, Ministry of the Environment, Hellenic Republic (1989); Director, Division of Applied and Environmental Physics, Physics Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1984 and 1985); Member, Technical Council, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1982-1984); Director of the Research Centre for Atmospheric Physics and Climatology of the Academy of Athens (1979).