Series: Earth Sciences in the 21st Century
BISAC: SCI042000

Zaviša Janjić may mostly be remembered for his pioneering contributions that allowed for the advancement of weather forecasting, which we witnessed over the last 40 years. In the scientific community, he is valued for his remarkable knowledge and intellect that formed the basis of his legacy of innovation, rigor and achievement in atmospheric science. His accomplishments were honored with numerous prestigious awards, and his ingenuity, brightness, kindness and humor kindled respect and dedication in his many colleagues and students. Upon Zaviša Janjić’s passing, collaborators and students endeavored to describe his person and his work by assembling the details of his journey on the narrow path to true success in science—a path that is reserved for a select few.

As a young student, Zaviša started work on his first limited area numerical weather prediction model, which became operational at the Federal Hydrometeorological Institute of the former Yugoslavia in 1978. Janjić was able to solve several difficult scientific questions during the model design and development phase, which helped lay the foundation for his models. Starting in the mid-to-late eighties, Professor Janjić worked on parameterizations of numerous physical processes. This work developed over the longest portion of his career, lasting more than 20 years. It included the development of Eta, Weather Research and Forecasting Nonhydrostatic Mesoscale Model (WRF-NMM) and Non-hydrostatic Meso-scale Model on B grid (NMMB), which were National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) weather prediction models.

Readers of this book will also enjoy a reprint of an interview with Professor Janjić; a professional biography with Professor Janjić’s specific contributions and references to scientific papers; commemorative letters from several directors of major meteorological centers describing how they saw Professor Janjić’s work in atmospheric science; and photos and documents from Janjić’s life and work.

Interlacing his life story with a working biography, writers and editors of this book hope to inspire the coming generation of scientists, as well as provide a timely tribute to Professor Janjić’s contribution to atmospheric science.