George Simpson (meteorologist)

George Simpson (meteorologist)

Sir George Clarke Simpson KCB CBE FRS (1878–1965) was a British meteorologist, born in Derby, England.

Biography

George Clarke Simpson was born 2 September 1878 in Derby England, the son of Arthur Simpson, a Toy Dealer, and Alice Lambton Clarke. He died 1 January 1965.

Education

Simpson was educated at Derby School, Owens College, Manchester and the University of Göttingen.

Career

In 1901 he became the first person to lecture in meteorology at a British university. In 1905, he was appointed as a lecturer at Manchester University. In 1906, he joined the Indian Meteorological Service at Simla. In 1910, he was the meteorologist for Robert Falcon Scott's Antarctic Terra Nova Expedition.

In 1920 he was appointed Director of the Meteorological Office, London. He went on to be its longest serving Director, retiring in 1938. He was knighted in 1935.

He investigated the causes of lightning and established the Simpson wind force scale, a modification of the Beaufort wind force scale, which is the current standard scale used worldwide; still called the Beaufort wind force scale.

Family

Simpson married Dorothy Jane Stephen, daughter of Cecil Stephen, on 23 September 1914. They had four children: Scott Simpson (1915-1981), Professor of Geology at Exeter University; Arthur Simpson (British scientist specialized in the study of plants and sea animals); Oliver Simpson; and Jean Simpson.

Honours

*Hon DSc (Manchester & Sydney)
*Hon LLD (Aberdeen)
*Fellow of the Royal Society, 1915
*Commander of the Order of the British Empire, 1919
*Companion of the Order of the Bath, 1926
*Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, 1935
*President of the British Meteorological Society, 1940-1942

*The British Antarctic Survey's Ice and Climate Building in Halley Bay, Antarctica (75° 35'S, 26° 40'W), is known as "The Simpson Platform", in memory of Sir George Clarke Simpson.

References

*"George Clarke Simpson, 1878-1965" by Gordon Manley, in Journal of Glaciology, vol.5, Issue 42, October 1965, pp.873-874
* [http://allbio.co.uk/biographies/Simpson-%20Sir%20George%20(Clarke)-59F9.html George Clarke Simpson at allbio.co.uk]
* [http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/case_southpole/clues.html PBS - "Tragedy at the Pole"]
* [http://www.met-office.gov.uk/education/secondary/students/beaufort.html "Wind force scale"]
* [http://www.jigrah.co.uk/famhis/simpson.htm Simpson family genealogy]

Persondata
NAME = Simpson, George Clarke
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = British meteorologist
DATE OF BIRTH = 2 September 1878
PLACE OF BIRTH = Derby England
DATE OF DEATH = 1 January 1965
PLACE OF DEATH =


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • George Simpson — may refer to:*Sir George Simpson (administrator) (c. 1792 ndash;1860), explorer, meteorologist and administrator of the Hudson s Bay Company *George Simpson (athlete) (1908 ndash;1961), American runner *George Simpson (politician), Western… …   Wikipedia

  • Simpson Glacier — (coord|71|17|S|168|38|E|type:glacier region:AQ|display=inline,title) is a glacier, 6 miles (10 km) long, in the Admiralty Mountains. It flows northward to the coast between Nelson Cliff and Mount Cherry Garrard where it forms the Simpson Glacier… …   Wikipedia

  • Simpson (name) — Family name name = imagesize= caption= meaning = son of Simme region =Anglo Scottish origin =United Kingdom related names = footnotes = Simpson is an Anglo Scottish patronymic surname from the medieval masculine given name Simme . The earliest… …   Wikipedia

  • Simpson Glacier Tongue — (coord|71|15|S|168|45|E|type:glacier region:AQ|display=inline,title) is a small floating glacier tongue nourished by Simpson Glacier and Fendley Glacier as it extends into the sea between Nelson Cliff and Atkinson Cliffs, along the north coast of …   Wikipedia

  • Minna Bluff — is a rocky promontory at the eastern end of a volcanic Antarctic peninsula projecting deep into the Ross Ice Shelf at 78°30′S 169°0′E / 78.5°S 169°E / 78.5; 169. It forms a long, narr …   Wikipedia

  • List of Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland — is a complete list of Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from the Reformation to the present day. Some listed below also currently have their own article. The location of the parish or other post during the Moderator s… …   Wikipedia

  • KMIZ — Infobox Broadcast call letters = KMIZ city = station station slogan = The Spirit of Missouri station branding = ABC 17 analog = 17 (UHF) digital = 22 (UHF) other chs = affiliations = ABC K38II Fox (DT2) KZOU MyNetworkTV (DT3) K02NQ StormTrack… …   Wikipedia

  • Terra Nova Expedition — Scott s party at the South Pole, 18 January 1912. L to R: (standing) Oates, Scott, Wilson; (seated) Bowers, Edgar Evans The Terra Nova Expedition (1910–1912), officially the British Antarc …   Wikipedia

  • List of Old Derbeians — This is a list of notable Old Derbeians, former pupils and masters of Derby School (from the 12th century to 1989) and of Derby Grammar School (since 1994), in Derby, England. [ [http://www.oldderbeians.org/ Main page of the Old Derbeian Society… …   Wikipedia

  • Corpus Christi, Texas — City of Corpus Christi   City   …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”