Ralph Abercromby (meteorologist)
Encyclopedia
Ralph Abercromby was a Scottish meteorologist.
He was born 11 February 1842, the youngest son of the third Lord Abercromby
. His mother, Louisa Penuel Forbes, was a daughter of Lord Medwyn.
His obituary in Nature
summarises his ancestry, "Several of his immediate relatives had been eminently distinguished. His great-grandfather, Sir Ralph Abercromby
, who died in 1801, in the moment of victory, at the Battle of Alexandria, had served his country with brilliant distinction, in the West Indies (Trinidad) and at the Helder."
Ralph Abercromby is noted for his contributions to meteorology
, his travels producing reports in Seas and skies in many latitudes such as weather and telegraphy at the US signals office. He wrote on the nomenclature of cloud formation, and figured prominently in the history of the classification system developed by Luke Howard
; along with Hugo Hildebrand Hildebrandsson
(1838-1920) he developed the system laid out by Howard.
He attained the rank of Lieutenant in the 60th Rifles. Abercromby died on 21 June 1897.
His essay on the climate of Australia was reissued as "Ralph Abercromby, H. A. B. 1865 Hunt, Henry Chamberlaine Russell, Three Essays On Australian Weather, Nabu Press, ISBN 1-177-54608-6"
He was born 11 February 1842, the youngest son of the third Lord Abercromby
George Abercromby, 3rd Baron Abercromby
George Ralph Campbell Abercromby, 3rd Baron Abercromby was a Scottish soldier, politician and peer. The son of George Abercromby, 2nd Baron Abercromby and Hon. Montague Dundas, on his death in 1852 he was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son.-Career:He was commissioned into the 51st Foot...
. His mother, Louisa Penuel Forbes, was a daughter of Lord Medwyn.
His obituary in Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
summarises his ancestry, "Several of his immediate relatives had been eminently distinguished. His great-grandfather, Sir Ralph Abercromby
Ralph Abercromby
Sir Ralph Abercromby was a Scottish soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars, and served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland.He twice served as MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire, and was...
, who died in 1801, in the moment of victory, at the Battle of Alexandria, had served his country with brilliant distinction, in the West Indies (Trinidad) and at the Helder."
Ralph Abercromby is noted for his contributions to meteorology
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
, his travels producing reports in Seas and skies in many latitudes such as weather and telegraphy at the US signals office. He wrote on the nomenclature of cloud formation, and figured prominently in the history of the classification system developed by Luke Howard
Luke Howard
Luke Howard FRS was a British manufacturing chemist and an amateur meteorologist with broad interests in science...
; along with Hugo Hildebrand Hildebrandsson
Hugo Hildebrand Hildebrandsson
Hugo Hildebrand Hildebrandsson was a Swedish meteorologist and professor at Uppsala university between 1878 and 1907.-Biography:...
(1838-1920) he developed the system laid out by Howard.
He attained the rank of Lieutenant in the 60th Rifles. Abercromby died on 21 June 1897.
Works
- 1887 Weather: A Popular Exposition Of The Nature Of Weather Changes From Day To Day (1888), Kessinger Publishing, ISBN 0-548-82646-3
- Cloud Land In Folklore And Science (Folklore History Series), Pierides Press, ISBN 1-4455-2335-3
- Principles Of Forecasting By Means Of Weather Charts, Pierides Press, ISBN 1-146-39376-8
- Seas And Skies In Many Latitudes: Or, Wanderings In Search Of Weather, Nabu Press, ISBN 1-144-14870-7
His essay on the climate of Australia was reissued as "Ralph Abercromby, H. A. B. 1865 Hunt, Henry Chamberlaine Russell, Three Essays On Australian Weather, Nabu Press, ISBN 1-177-54608-6"