[SPA] SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER, Volume XXV, Issue 32

[Newsletter Editor]

AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION
SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER
Volume XXV, Issue 32
May.27,2018

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Table of Contents

1. J. W. (Bill) Wright

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J. W. (Bill) Wright

From: Michael T. Rietveld (mike.rietveld at eiscat.uit.no)

Bill Wright, a pioneer in HF ionospheric sounding using advanced techniques, passed away on 5th May 2018, in Longmont Colorado.

John William Wright, born 8 December 1929 in New Castle Pennsylvania, worked for the National Bureau of Standards, which became part of the Environmental Sciences Service Administration (ESSA, later called NOAA) with the US government. Bill used ionosondes as a diagnostic for high-altitude grenade and chemical release experiments, explosions, and ionospheric heating experiments in many parts of the world. His goal was to extract as much information as possible from an ionogram (or radio sounding) and in this he succeeded admirably. In collaboration with others, in particular M. L. V. Pitteway, he led the development of new sounder systems employing digital computers at NOAA, that finally led to the development in the late 1970’s of the ‘Dynasonde’ HF radar. This radar incorporated many important, advanced hardware and software features, such that most of them lasted well into the 21st century. The Dynasonde in Tromsø still provides top-quality data, thanks to the software developments Bill contributed to over the years. A substantial number of newer sounders are based on the same ideological foundation and are operated as Dynasondes to advance our understanding of complex interactions between the geospheres. The Dynasonde’s success is a legacy to Bill’s uncompromising aim for perfection.

Bill was awarded a Doctor of Science, honoris causa, from Brunel University in 1982. He remained at NOAA until 1983, when he retired from government service and moved to the Max Planck Institute for Aeronomy (now the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research), Germany. There he worked with data from the Dynasonde in Tromsø, used as a diagnostic for ionospheric heating experiments as well as for studying the complex auroral ionosphere together with the EISCAT incoherent scatter radars.

Around 1985 he left Germany for Cambridge (UK), and worked at the British Antarctic Survey until 1989, before returning to Colorado. Bill and collaborators developed Dynasonde analysis further with such innovations as phase-based echo detection and vector-velocity determination, all in near real-time, culminating (with Nick Zabotin) in a true-height electron density inversion technique allowing for tilted ionospheric layers. With Nick he formed Dynasonde Solutions to supply their analysis package to a new generation of sounders like the VIPIR HF radar. 

Holding strong principles which he defended vigorously, Bill was not afraid to voice his opinion at meetings or in writing, and several of his collaborations did not remain harmonious. He has left behind at least 90 scholarly publications, not counting numerous presentations at meetings, where he was easily recognizable in his characteristically casual attire. 

Bill was a well-travelled man who enjoyed life, particularly through music (I remember he was fond of Bach), cycling, walking and French wine and cheese. He is survived by his 3rd wife, 2 daughters, 2 sons-law, 4 sons and 2 daughters-in-law. An extended obituary will be submitted to URSI’s Radio Science Bulletin.

Michael Rietveld
EISCAT Scientific Association
9027 Ramfjordbotn
Norway


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