Lonnie Thompson: key obituary facts
Is Lonnie Thompson dead? Yes. Lonnie Thompson died on November 3, 2026, at age 78.
Cause of death: Lonnie Thompson's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Lonnie Thompson known for?
He was an American paleoclimatologist.
More about Lonnie Thompson
Born: 1 July 1948.
Place of birth: Huntington.
Gender: male.
Occupation: university teacher, geologist, climatologist.
Nationality: United States.
Education: Ohio State University, Marshall University.
Employer: Ohio State University.
Awards: Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, Benjamin Franklin Medal, Vega Medal, National Medal of Science, Dan David Prize, Dr A. H. Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences, Seligman Crystal, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Spouse: Ellen Mosley-Thompson.
Also known as: Lonnie G. Thompson, Lonnie G Thompson, L. G. Thompson, L.G. Thompson, L G Thompson, L. Thompson, L Thompson, Thompson.
Lonnie Thompson, an American paleoclimatologist and university professor, died November 3, 2026, aged 78.
At Ohio State University’s School of Earth Sciences, he pursued research into climate history preserved in ice. His drilling and analysis of ice cores from ice caps and mountain glaciers in tropical and subtropical regions brought him global recognition.
Over more than four decades, Thompson led 60 expeditions across polar regions and tropical and subtropical ice fields in 16 countries, including China, Peru, Russia, Tanzania and Papua, Indonesia. The Ohio State team developed lightweight, solar-powered drilling equipment for fieldwork. Born July 1, 1948, he studied geology at Marshall University before completing master’s and doctoral degrees at Ohio State. He and his wife, Ellen Mosley-Thompson, led the ice-core paleoclimatology research group at the Byrd Polar Research Center. His honors included the National Medal of Science, the Benjamin Franklin Medal, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, the Vega Medal and the Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences. He also received the Dan David Prize and Seligman Crystal, and was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.