Prof. em. Dr. Hans Richner

Hans Richner was a lecturer at ETH Zurich at the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science. In 1995 he was awarded the title of Adjunct Professor in recognition of his achievements in teaching and research.

Born on 17 March 1944 on a farm in Rupperswil AG, he studied natural sciences at ETH Zurich. In 1967 he graduated with a diploma in experimental physics. After teaching physics and mathematics for a year at the canton schools (junior colleges) of Aarau and Solothurn, he entered the Laboratory for Atmospheric Physics under Professor H.U. Dütsch where he started a research project on foehn. He received his doctorate in 1974 with a thesis on atmospheric pressure variations and biometeorology, which was awarded with the Kern Prize and the ETH Medal.

After his dissertation he headed a research group that dealt with foehn and meteorological instrumentation technology.

1976/77 he was at the European Space Agency (ESA) in the selection process for Payload Specialist for the first mission of Spacelab.

The development of new instruments and methods of observation continued to be the center of his work. During a one-year stay at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR Boulder, USA), he focused on the technology and use of meteorological research aircraft. The findings were then applied in the use of commercial aircraft of Swissair for scientific research. Later, the development of so-called wind profilers (vertical Doppler radars) and the improvement of balloon-borne probes (radiosondes) were in the foreground. His field research centered on mesoscale atmospheric dynamics over complex topography and on local wind systems. In addition, he studied biometeorological problems; he was member of various international meteorological and biometeorological organizations.

Richner's teaching included lab courses in atmospheric physics and lectures on the topics of instrumentation and observation methods, agricultural meteorology, and general physics of the atmosphere, the latter also at the University of Constance. He also supervised 14 doctoral theses.

Richner was instrumental in the planning and implementation of several international field experiments (particularly ALPEX and MAP). Also, he had accepted mandates in various international organizations, among them at the WMO, the ITU and in EUROTRAC.

Since his retirement, Richner is active in the international Alpine Research Group Foehn Rhine Valley/Lake Constance (AGF), which aims at improving the forecasts for foehn storms. He is also a member of an ad-hoc group which statistically analyzes foehn data for Altdorf (available since 1864). Finally, by means of two field stations he studies the high-frequency dynamics of foehn onsets, this with the aim to provide improved storm warnings for lakes, cable cars etc.