Charles Darwin's meteorological observations aboard the H.M.S. Beagle

Abstract

Charles Darwin, as a trained naturalist and observer, recorded many intriguing meteorological phenomena during the voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle around the world from 1831 to 1836. Unfortunately, the scientific community has, in general, neglected these observations. In particular, Darwin logged interesting notes on lightning suppression and damage, on the aerial transport of dust, and on rainfall and drought periodicities across South America. The latter observations, addressing simultaneous drought occurrence in diverse parts of the world, may be among the first scientific speculations on climate variability and regional teleconnectivity associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Credit for the first scientific observations of the ENSO phenomenon is usually given to researchers in the late nineteenth century. © 2005 American Meteorological Society.