Dr. Peter James LAMB, Editor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters (AOSL); George Lynn Cross Research Professor of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma; Director, NOAA Cooperative Institute of Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, passed away in his home in Norman, Oklahoma on 28 May 2014. He was born on 21 June 1947 in Nelson, New Zealand and arrived in the United States in 1971.

“Peter J. Lamb received B.A. (1969) and M.A. (1971, with Honors) degrees in Geography from the University of Canterbury (New Zealand), Ph.D. in Meteorology from the University of Wisconsin in 1976, and D.Sc. for published research in Climate Science from the University of Canterbury in 2002. His early appointments were at the University of Adelaide (Australia, 1976–1978), University of Miami (1978–1979) and Illinois State Water Survey/University of Illinois (1979–1991). In 1991, Dr. Lamb joined the University of Oklahoma as Director of the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS), a research organization promoting collaboration between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and OU scientists, and as a tenured full Professor in the School of Meteorology. He received a George Lynn Cross Research Professorship in 2001, which is OU’s highest research honor.

“Dr. Lamb's basic research focused on the physical and dynamical processes responsible for regional climate and its short-term fluctuations (intraseasonal, interannual, decadal), especially for Northern Hemisphere Africa and North America east of the Rocky Mountains. He also was concerned with the applied issue of how such basic research can benefit society. Lamb authored or coauthored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, which have received approximately 4,000 and 5,100 citations, respectively, according to the Web of Science and Google Scholar. He was the founding Chief Editor of the Journal of Climate (1989–1995). Lamb was a member of the Council (2011–2014) and Executive Committee (2012–2014) of the American Meteorological Society.

“Since 2011, Dr. Lamb served as one of three joint institute advisors to the NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Senior Research Council. He provided insight and advice to NOAA leadership on the role of joint institutes in the agency’s research and development portfolio. He championed government-university cooperation for the benefit of improving NOAA products and services.”

(http://nwcnorman.org/news/education-and-training/m.blog/77/dr-peter-j-lamb-1947-2014)

           “I am deeply saddened. Pete and I were very close.” Said Prof. WANG Hui-Jun, co-chief editor of AOSL. “ Pete's great contributions to the meteorology cause was simply enormous. His enthusiasm and passion for his work, particularly in the area of mesoscale meteorological studies  made great impression on all of us. He had made great efforts organizing the First and Second CHINA-US Meteorology Symposiums and had made these events great success. His passing is really a great loss not only to the American meteorological community, but also to the Chinese meteorological community and to our Institute. We are sure that he will not be forgotten by the many who admired and respected him.”