Ed Hawkins (climatologist)
British climate scientist known for data visualization graphics
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edward Hawkins (born 1977)[1] is a British climate scientist who is Professor of climate science at the University of Reading,[2] principal research scientist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), editor of Climate Lab Book blog[4] and lead scientist for the Weather Rescue citizen science project.[5][6] He is known for his data visualizations of climate change for the general public such as warming stripes[7] and climate spirals.[8][9][10]
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February 1977 (age 49)[1]
Climate spirals
MBE (2019)
Ed Hawkins | |
|---|---|
Hawkins in 2015 | |
| Born | Edward Hawkins February 1977 (age 49)[1] |
| Education | University of Nottingham (PhD) |
| Known for | Warming stripes Climate spirals |
| Awards | Kavli Medal (2018) MBE (2019) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Climate variability Climate predictability Climate change Arctic Astrophysics Data and information visualization[2] |
| Workplaces | University of Reading National Centre for Atmospheric Science |
| Thesis | Galaxy clustering in large redshift surveys (2003) |
| Steve Maddox[3] | |
| Website | edhawkins |
Education
Hawkins was educated at the University of Nottingham where he was awarded a PhD in astrophysics in 2003 for research supervised by Steve Maddox that investigated galaxy clustering in large redshift surveys.[3]
Career and research
After his PhD, Hawkins served as a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) advanced research fellow in the department of meteorology at the University of Reading from 2005 to 2013.[11]
_-_Climate_Lab_Book_(Ed_Hawkins).svg)
As of 2025[update] Hawkins is a professor of climate science at the University of Reading,[14] where he serves as academic lead for public engagement and is affiliated with the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS).[15] He is a lead for Weather Rescue and Rainfall Rescue, citizen science projects in which volunteers transcribe data from historical meteorological and rainfall records for digital analysis.[16][17]
Hawkins was a contributing author for the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (2014)[18] and was a lead author for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report in 2021.[19]
On 9 May 2016, Hawkins published his climate spiral data visualization graphic,[20] which was widely reported as having gone viral.[10][21][22] The climate spiral was widely praised, Jason Samenow writing in The Washington Post that the spiral graph was "the most compelling global warming visualization ever made".[23]
On 22 May 2018, Hawkins published his warming stripes data visualization graphic,[24] which has been used by meteorologists in Climate Central's annual #MetsUnite campaign to raise public awareness of global warming during broadcasts on the summer solstice.[25] Similarly, on 17 June 2019, Hawkins launched the #ShowYourStripes initiative—in which the public could freely download and share graphics customized to specific countries or localities[25]—which was supported by the World Meteorological Organization, Climate Central, and Climate Without Borders.[26] The graphic became displayed in numerous public spaces such as Times Square and White Cliffs of Dover,[26] in a US House committee logo,[27] and in a MoMA art museum exhibit.[28]
Honours and awards
Hawkins' climate spiral design was on the shortlist for the Kantar Information is Beautiful Awards 2016,[29] the design having been featured in the opening ceremony of the August 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[30]
Hawkins was awarded the Royal Meteorological Society's Climate Science Communication Prize in 2017.[19]
In 2018, Hawkins was awarded the Kavli Medal by the Royal Society "for significant contributions to understanding and quantifying natural climate variability and long-term climate change, and for actively communicating climate science and its various implications with broad audiences".[19]
In July 2019, Hawkins was included in the Climate Home News list of ten climate influencers.[31]
Hawkins was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours "For services to Climate Science and to Science Communication".[32]
In June 2021, Hawkins was named in The Sunday Times "Green Power List" which profiled twenty environmentalists in the UK who are "minds engaging with the world's biggest problem".[33]
In May 2024, Hawkins received the Royal Geographical Society's Geographical Engagement Award for his work in developing warming stripes.[34]
In 2025, he was made an honorary fellow of Trinity College Dublin.[35]
Selected publications
According to Google Scholar[2][36][37] his most highly cited publications include:
