Verner E. Suomi; Professor and Weather Technology Inventor

Verner E. Suomi, 79, a University of Wisconsin professor who developed satellite technology that revolutionized weather forecasting. A professor of atmospheric science who spent most of his career on the Madison, Wis., campus, Suomi invented the spin-scan camera, which enabled weather satellites to capture “rock-solid” pictures of the Earth from orbit. The images, from satellites positioned 25,000 miles above the Equator orbiting at the same speed at which the Earth spins, greatly improved weather forecasting and studies of the Earth’s atmosphere. Suomi was also known for his invention of radiation-sensing devices and studies of radiation’s interplay with the atmosphere. Among his awards was the National Medal of Science presented by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. In 1964, Suomi served as chief scientist for the U.S. Weather Bureau. A year later, he co-founded the Space Science and Engineering Center for research at Madison, partially funded by NASA. On July 30 in Madison, Wis.