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BAMOS
Special Issue
The beginning
Historically , the vital role of observational data in meteorology ’ s emergence as a global science goes back to the remarkable 18th Century German polymath Alexander von Humboldt ( Figure 1 ). His extension of the Enlightenment concepts of truth and knowledge to the understanding of the natural world and his collection and use of meteorological data from different places to draw isolines of temperature and other meteorological variables provided a new scientific way of describing and explaining the nature of climate ( Wulf , 2015 ).
But meteorology ’ s development as a science was paralleled by its development as a service which was even more dependent on data exchange . The utilitarian perspective is usually traced back to the 1853 Brussels Conference agreement to collect and share meteorological data from ships ’ logs to improve marine navigation and help ensure the safety of life at sea ( Dexter , 2020 ).
There were strong ethical and religious overtones to the Matthew Fontaine Maury ( Figure 2 ) account of what was agreed at Brussels in 1853 : This plan contemplates the cooperation of all the states of Christendom , at least so far as the form , method , subject of observations , time of making them and the interchange of results are concerned . I hope that my fellow citizens will not fail to second and cooperate in such a humane , wise and noble scheme ( Maury , 1855 ).
Figure 1 . ( left ): Alexander von Humboldt ( 1769 – 1859 ) was famous for his world-view of Earth science and his belief in the free exchange of information in uniting scientists and fostering communication across the disciplines . He pioneered the collection and use of observational data to map the patterns of climate and inspired the rise of what became known as ‘ Humboldtian science ’. Painting of von Humboldt by Joseph Karl Stieler . Source :
Wikipedia Commons .
Figure 2 . ( right ): Matthew Fontaine Maury ( 1806 – 1873 ) pioneered the international exchange of ships ’ observations for improved marine navigation and safety of life at sea . Source :
Wikipedia Commons .