Charles Darwin's Meteorological Observations Aboard the H.M.S. Beagle
Charles Darwin's Meteorological Observations aboard the H.M.S. Beagle BY RANDALL S. CERVENY On his milestone voyage, the founder of modern evolution theory often wrote perceptively about weather and climate, including the first discussion of the global teleconnective nature of El Nino/Southern Oscillation. amed naturalist Charles Darwin's epic journey The principal objects are 1st, collecting, observing to South America on board the H.M.S. Beagle & reading in all branches of Natural History that I Fis best known for his observations leading to his possibly can manage. Observations in Meteorology, theory of evolution. However, as a naturalist, Darwin French & Spanish, Mathematics, & a little Classics, was interested in, and hired for, his expertise in all perhaps not more than Greek Testament on Sundays. areas of natural science. This is particularly true of (Darwin 1933, p. 14) meteorology given that the captain of the Beagle, and Darwin's employer, was Robert FitzRoy, who later Yet Darwin's insightful meteorological obser- became the head of the Meteorological Department vations have been relegated to brief mentions in of the British Board of Trade and developer of the older textbooks (e.g., Hartwig 1887; Talman 1931; first weather-warning service in 1859 (Botley 1938; Tomlinson 1860). This article relates Darwin's notes Humphreys 1947; Talman 1931). Indeed, Darwin on important meteorological and climatological noted in his diary prior to his voyage topics such as lightning, drought, floods, wind transport, and the implications of his observations in I am often afraid I shall be quite overwhelmed with relation to the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) the number of subjects which I ought to take into phenomenon.
[Show full text]