Vera Kumari Ramanathan

Indian scientist who pioneered atmospheric studies of the Indian Ocean and discovered the 'Asian Brown Cloud'

Dr. Vera Kumari Ramanathan (1925-2010) was a visionary atmospheric scientist from Tamil Nadu, India. In the 1950s, she became the first woman to lead India's weather research division, developing critical models for monsoon prediction still used today. Her groundbreaking 1960s research on the Asian Brown Cloud revealed how pollution from South Asia affects global climate patterns. She pioneered the use of ship-based atmospheric measurements in the Indian Ocean, a technique now standard in climate research. Despite facing gender barriers, she trained over 50 early-career scientists and co-founded the Indian Climate Change Society. Her work laid the foundation for modern climate change policy in developing nations. Recent studies (2023) continue to validate her theories about aerosol impacts on regional climates.