Farewell to NASA's Dr. Yoram Kaufman, a Friend of Amateur Science

In August 1995 I was in Cuiaba, Brazil, to measure the ozone layer, solar ultraviolet, and optical depth during SCAR-B, a joint Brazil-U.S. program to study the impact of massive smoke pollution during the annual burning season. This work was sponsored by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), and while in Cuiaba I met a scientist from GSFC who was full of ideas and who had a great sense of humor. His name was Yoram Kaufman.

Dr. Kaufman knew so much about atmospheric science and had such a captivating personality that I decided to look up some of his papers after SCAR-B. How amazing to find that one of his papers in a major journal described sun photometer measurements he had made around the world while on vacation. That's pretty much what I have done for many years as an amateur scientist. But Yoram was a professional scientist doing the same thing!

Over the years I had occasional contact with Yoram. Once he asked me if it might be possible to modify a digital camera with various filters to make atmospheric measurements. I took his question seriously and eventually published a paper on how to use a digital camera and image analysis software to evaluate the solar aureole, the whitish disk around the sun caused by aerosols suspended in the atmosphere (F. M. Mims III, Solar aureoles caused by dust, smoke and haze, Applied Optics 42, 492-496, 2003). I also began work on using a digital camera to photograph invisible water vapor.

When I found discepancies in water vapor measurements made by a NASA satellite, I sent Yoram the details. He immediately provided contact information for the scientist in charge.

Because of his work with GSFC's Earth Observatory web site and various educational projects, I was aware that Yoram was interested in citizen science and educating the general public about the atmosphere. But never did I expect that he would take a personal interest in my daughter Sarah's discovery of living microbes in biomass smoke arriving in Texas from agricultural fires in Yucatan. He did just that after Sarah's discovery became her first scientific paper (Sarah A. Mims and Forrest M. Mims III, Fungal spores are transported long distances in smoke from biomass fires, Atmospheric Environment 38, 651-655, 2004), and the Earth Observatory prepared a 4-page web site devoted to her findings. After Yoram reviewed the web site for David Herring, who directs the Earth Observatory for GSFC, he sent Sarah the following e-mail:

Subj:Your aerosol work
Date:10/27/2003 5:05:37 PM Central Standard Time
From:yoram.j.kaufman@nasa.gov

Dear Ms. Sarah Mims

Your paper on the survival of bacteria in fires and long range transport to Texas is very interesting and innovative. Your measurements are very exciting in their simplicity and outcome. You were very smart not to discard the "unrelated" measurements of bacteria that were not associated with dust and recognize the importance of the measurements regarding the survival of the bacteria in the fire. The implications to agricultural activity are very important. Once again we see that in our global village what one farmer does may affect another farmer an ocean away.

Your work shows the highest standards of science work and intellectual activity. I am sure that you will be one of the best candidates, with the highest intellectual ability and curiosity, in any university you may apply for.

Regarding experimental science, once I read an interesting observation that a Nobel price recipient mentioned regarding his finding. He asked the question: "what is the difference between the Nobel price and the trash can." Then he answered that, "it is the degree to which you believe in your instrumental procedures." Apparently you had enough confidence in the quality of your experimental work that you did not discard the information about bacteria without dust and got your exciting new discovery.

Good luck with your studies and future work. If you land in atmospheric sciences, may be you will consider to join us as a scientist here in NASA GSFC.

With best regards,

Dr. Yoram J. Kaufman
NASA/GSFC Senior Fellow, Climate and Radiation Branch

Sarah's discovery brought her a number of congratulatory letters and many awards. Because of his scientific reputation and expertise, I always considered Yoram's letter to Sarah to be by far the most significant recognition that she received.

Yoram and I shared more interests than I realized, for recently I learned that he enjoyed bicycling. How sad that I learned this while reading an e-mail from a NASA friend that while cycling not far from his place of work, Yoram was struck by an SUV. He received severe damage to his head, and on 31 May 2006, Yoram Kaufman died.

David Herring and his colleagues at the Goddard Space Flight Center's Earth Observatory web site posted an overview of Yoram's science and his influence. Their post closed with this tribute to their former leader:

Kaufman will be remembered as a brilliant scientist, a charismatic leader, and a positive influence within NASA. He collaborated with many scientists around the world in helping to advance our understanding of Earth's climate system. In the days before his untimely death, Kaufman was not yet aware that he had been selected by the American Meteorological Society to receive its prestigious Verner E. Soumi Award, which is granted to one individual each year in recognition of highly significant technological achievement in the atmospheric (or related) sciences. We are deeply saddened to lose a valued friend, mentor and leader, and we are proud of Kaufman's considerable accomplishments.

One of Yoram's colleagues at the Goddard Space Flight Center is Brent Holben, who directs Aeronet, a global network of Cimel robotic sun photometers. It was Brent who introduced me to Yoram when we were in Cuiaba in 1995. In a blog devoted to Yoram, Holben posted this farewell to his friend on 31 May 2006:

A chapter is closed. Yoram, our friend and colleague, his ever flowing ideas have stopped. His impact on our fields is enormous, from atmospheric correction, to BRDF, to in flight calibration, to NDVI, to aerosol characterization, models, assimilation, MODIS, new satellite concepts, radiative forcing, climate change--he even named AERONET. He loved to experiment. With a little data and his intuitive genius he bridged gaps for the rest of us to follow.

Our friend and colleague will be mourned and missed but his inspiration and humanity remains with us.

Yoram, you turned out the lights a bit early, but we can all see better through the darkness because of you. We're so fortunate. Thanks guy!

While reading Brent's tribute to his friend and professional colleague, I couldn't help but think about the major changes underway in NASA's Earth resources programs that Yoram helped develop. NASA has been assigned by the Congress to complete the International Space Station with the aging Space Shuttle fleet. New kinds of manned spacecraft are being considered to replace the Shuttle. There are new plans to return astronauts to the Moon and send astronauts to Mars.

NASA's budget can no longer cover all the tasks it has been assigned and undertaken on its own initiative, and many science programs have been cancelled or delayed. Earth science no longer has the high priority it once did. Dr. Yoram Kaufman was an eloquent spokesman for the world class Earth science NASA has long performed, and now his voice will no longer be heard.

Farewell to Dr. Yoram Kaufman, a scientist who made vital contributions to monitoring our planet and who recognized that even amateur scientists can play a role.

Forrest M. Mims III