American Geophysical Union: Athelstan Spilhaus Award 2025

The American Geophysical Union presented Helen with the 2025 Athelstan Spilhaus Award.

Citation by Andrew Dessler, Texas A&M University College Station:

"I am honored to cite Dr. Helen Czerski for the AGU Athelstan Spilhaus Award in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to ocean science communication and public engagement. Dr. Czerski is a Professor of Environment and Society in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University College London, where she conducts research in ocean physics while simultaneously serving as one of the world's most effective science communicators. What makes Dr. Czerski's work truly exceptional is her ability to illuminate the wonders of Earth science—particularly oceanography—for audiences ranging from living rooms to lecture halls.

Dr. Czerski has distinguished herself through an impressive portfolio of science communication that extends far beyond traditional academic boundaries. Her BBC documentaries have reached at least 60 million viewers, her weekly radio presence engages 1.4 million listeners, and her popular science books, with >200,000 copies sold, demonstrate sustained public appetite for her clear, compelling explanations of how our planet works.

Of note, Dr. Czerski has employed creative formats to bring Earth science into everyday life—from producing a regular newspaper column to bringing the physics of the natural world into millions of homes as a presenter of BBC prime-time science TV programs, as well as co-hosting the BBC climate series Rare Earth. Her approach to grounding complex scientific principles in familiar, everyday contexts has been credited as inspiration for major public installations and even prize-winning novels.

Her books have particularly demonstrated her ability to translate specialized knowledge for general audiences. Her 2023 book, Blue Machine, secured a national writing award and prompted the UK's National Maritime Museum to install a giant Spilhaus projection map at its center, visually embodying this award's legacy. Her 2016 book, Storm in a Teacup, achieved widespread success by revealing the physics underlying daily life, making crucial scientific concepts tangible to readers with a wide range of science knowledge.

By serving as an effective communicator across multiple media platforms—television, radio, print, and digital— Dr. Czerski exemplifies the spirit and purpose of the Spilhaus Award. Her dedication to sharing scientific excitement and knowledge with diverse audiences, combined with her demonstrated excellence in both research and communication, makes her eminently deserving of this recognition. Dr. Helen Czerski is a true ambassador of geoscience and ocean science, and I applaud the AGU for bestowing this year’s Athelstan Spilhaus Award on her."