INTRODUCTION NEW YORK 72 W SHELF EDDY HINGTON SLOPE EDDY NORFOLK NORTH WALL GULF STREAM EDDY EDDY SARGAsso SEA Infrared image showing temperature variations in the Gulf Stream taken by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite Science Society Picture LibrarylGetty Images REUTE ICTIrCKHIURC
INTRODUCTION US DDY nyone who has ever planned an outdoor event dressed in layers to accommodate seasonal temperature changes or wondered whether he or she should grab an umbrella on the way out the door knows that the weather can be unpredictable Throughout history many scientific minds have risen to the challenge of understanding and explaining the natu ral phenomena of storms weather fronts and climatic changes It is these pioneering individuals whom this book celebrates Early weather related scientific dis coveries often came about as the result of exploration of other matters The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote the Meteorologica a famous essay on meteorol ogy while studying the natural world and pondering the universe Galileo who is most famous for his work in astronomy invented the thermometer while teaching physics at the University of Padua Neither Daniel Fahrenheit nor Anders Celsius had studying the weather as their main goal yet each had a temperature scale he had devised named after him There also were renaissance men such as Benjamin Franklin and Joseph RMUDA 9
PIONEERS IN THE WORLD OF WEATHER AND CLIMATOLOGY Henry who were accomplished in many fields Meteorology was just one of many areas in which they made a mark Their contributions to the atmospheric sciences are well documented especially Franklin's famous experiment with a kite flown during a thunderstorm to test the electrical properties of lightning Yet several of the pioneers featured in this book have dedicated their professional lives specifically to the study of weather and climate These are the people who have conducted the research and created the tools that have advanced the fields of meteorology and climatology Among their number is Wladimir Koppen whose chart ing of world temperatures led him to divide the world into climate regions a landmark event in climatology It could be said that other weather and climate pioneers had their heads in the clouds in the best possible sense Swedish meteorologist Tor Bergeron was known for his work in cloud physics specifically regard ing the question of how precipitation occurs American Vincent Joseph Schaefer was not merely content to study clouds Instead Io
INTRODUCTION he sought to control their output In 1946 Schaefer conducted the first successful cloud seeding which involves treating clouds with chemicals to produce snow or rain Humankind's influence on the weather didn't end there By the middle of the 20th century scientists were beginning to under stand that changes in climate were linked to human activity such as the burning of fossil fuels In 1958 climatologist Charles David Keeling began measuring carbon dioxide levels near an inactive Hawaiian volcano His findings showed that CO levels were rising which scientists claim is one cause of global warming As chairman of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC Swedish meteorol ogist Bert Bolin helped raise awareness of the dangers of climate change In 2007 the IPCC shared a Nobel Peace Prize with for mer U S vice president Al Gore It is unlikely that anyone will ever be able to predict the weather with 100 percent accuracy But thanks to the efforts of these pioneers and others like them there are far fewer mysteries in the worlds of meteorol ogy and climatology than there once were II
