Dr Neil Adams was awarded the Australian Antarctic Medal for his outstanding contribution to the development of Antarctic meteorology, and for his exceptional abilities as a forecaster. Both have greatly contributed to scientific programs over 3 decades.

Before his passing in March 2012, Dr Adams was as the Manager of the Bureau’s Antarctic Meteorological section. Dr Adams developed and implemented polar research and services. He was also responsible for the operational use of polar observations.

The infrastructure that underpins the Bureau’s Antarctic forecasting service is a testimony to Dr Adams’ work. Infrastructure that has greatly benefited from his insightful contributions and hands-on input include:

  • the polar Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) suite
  • the observational data and NWP model output viewing system
  • the Australian Antarctic Division aviation-based Automatic Weather Station network
  • the Bureau’s satellite facilities in Antarctica

Dr Adams and his Antarctic Meteorological team made an enormous impact on the work of the AAD. Dr Adams himself was the lynchpin of the familiar relationship between the AAD and the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). This relationship is crucial to the operations of the AAD. BoM’s forecasts support the Australian Antarctic Division’s station, traverse, shipping, flight and deep field activities, helping to ensure the safety of personnel and infrastructure.

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