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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Dudley Chelton, an Oregon State University oceanographer, has been honored by the American Meteorological Society with its 2011 Henry Stommel Research Award, given annually for advancing understanding of the dynamics and physics of the ocean.

Chelton, a professor in OSU's College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences since 1983, was cited for his "fundamental contributions to advancing our understanding of ocean circulation and air-sea interaction."

The awarded is named for late scientist Henry Melson Stommel, who spent much of his career at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and is regarded as one of the most influential oceanographers of the 20th century.

Chelton carries the title of distinguished professor of oceanography at OSU, where he has been on the faculty since 1983. He has helped revolutionize the study of oceans through the use of satellite data and was the principal architect of the microwave ocean observing satellite constellation in the United States.

With funding from NOAA and NASA, he has led several projects looking at air-sea interactions and developed techniques used by scientists around the world.

Chelton has been honored widely for his teaching as well as research. He was elected a fellow of the American Meteorological Society in 2011, and has received the NASA Public Service Medal in 1994; the 2010 Cody Award in Ocean Sciences from Scripps Institution of Oceanography; and several OSU awards for teaching. In 2008 he was elected a fellow of the American Geophysical Union.

Fellow OSU oceanographer John Allen received the Stommel Award from the American Meteorological Society in 2005.