Ted Fujita

Ted Fujita
Fujita in 1972
Born(1920-10-23)October 23, 1920
Sonemura, Kiku-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture, Empire of Japan
DiedNovember 19, 1998(1998-11-19) (aged 78)
Citizenship
  • Japan
  • United States (after 1968)
ChildrenKazuya Fujita
AwardsOrder of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star (1991)
Alma materMeiji Vocational College (B.S., 1943)
University of Tokyo (D.Sc., 1950)
Known fortornadoes, tornadic storm morphology, Fujita scale, multiple-vortex tornadoes, downbursts, microbursts, mesoscale meteorology
Scientific career
FieldsMeteorology
InstitutionsUniversity of Chicago
Thesis Analytical Study of Typhoons  (1952)
Doctoral advisorShigekata Syono
Doctoral studentsRoger M. Wakimoto, Gregory S. Forbes
Japanese name
Kanji藤田 哲也
Hiraganaふじた てつや
Katakanaフジタ テツヤ

Tetsuya Theodore Fujita (/fˈtɑː/; FOO-jee-tah) (藤田 哲也, Fujita Tetsuya; October 23, 1920 – November 19, 1998) was a Japanese and American meteorologist whose research primarily focused on severe weather. His research at the University of Chicago on severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and typhoons revolutionized the knowledge of each. Although he is best known for creating the Fujita scale of tornado intensity and damage, he also discovered downbursts and microbursts and was an instrumental figure in advancing modern understanding of many severe weather phenomena and how they affect people and communities, especially through his work exploring the relationship between wind speed and damage.