Alexander George McAdie

Alexander George McAdie

Infobox Scientist
name = Alexander George McAdie
box_width =


image_width =150px
caption = Alexander George McAdie
birth_date = August 4, 1863
birth_place =
death_date = November 1, 1943
death_place =
residence =
citizenship =
nationality = American
ethnicity =
field = meteorology
work_institutions =
alma_mater = Harvard University
doctoral_advisor =
doctoral_students =
known_for =
author_abbrev_bot =
author_abbrev_zoo =
influences =
influenced =
prizes =
religion =
footnotes =

Alexander George McAdie (August 4, 1863–November 1, 1943) was an American meteorologist.

While in college he joined the "Army Signal Service", the predecessor of the U.S. Weather Bureau. He graduated from Harvard University in 1885.

From 1903 until 1913 he ran the U.S. Weather Bureau in San Francisco. He was also the vice president of the Sierra Club, starting in 1904, and continuing until 1913. In 1913 he became Professor of meteorology at Harvard, and remained there until 1931. During the same period he also served as the director of the "Blue Hill Observatory".

Among his accomplishments was the invention of a device to prevent frost from harming fruit. He was a pioneer in the use of kites to study conditions at high altitudes. In 1885 at Blue Hill, Boston, he modernized the experiments of Benjamin Franklin by attaching a voltmeter to a kite and measuring the voltage difference between the ground and several hundred feet up. He also made studies of the atmospheric effects of smoke, the connection between the aurora and electricity in the atmosphere, and the dangers posed by lightning.

He is also known for testifying about the potential effects of electrocution(based on his experience with lightning) in 1899 at the first trial to decide if the electric chair was cruel and unusual punishment. His testimony was used against the use of the electric chair for the death penalty.

He was married to Mary Randolph Brown McAdie.

Awards and honors

* Mount McAdie in the Sierra Nevada range was named after him.
* McAdie crater on the Moon is named after him.

References

* "McClure's Magazine", March, 1896, Vol. VI., No. 4.

External links

* [http://www.history.noaa.gov/nwsbios/nwsbios_page50.html NOAA History]
* [http://www.bluehill.org/history.html The Blue Hill Observatory]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Список лунных кратеров, М — Список лунных кратеров А Б В Г Д Е Ж З И Й К Л М Н О П Р С  …   Википедия

  • Liste der Krater des Erdmondes/M — Liste der Krater des Erdmondes   A B C D E F G H I J K L M …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Liste Des Cratères De La Lune, L-N — Voici une partie de la liste des cratères de la Lune. Quand un cratère possède des cratères satellites, ceux ci sont décrits dans l article du cratère principal. Listes : A B C D E F G H I J K… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Liste des crateres de la Lune, L-N — Liste des cratères de la Lune, L N Voici une partie de la liste des cratères de la Lune. Quand un cratère possède des cratères satellites, ceux ci sont décrits dans l article du cratère principal. Listes :… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Liste des cratères de la Lune, L-N — Voici une partie de la liste des cratères de la Lune. Quand un cratère possède des cratères satellites, ceux ci sont décrits dans l article du cratère principal. Listes : A B C D E F G H I J K… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Liste des cratères de la lune, l-n — Voici une partie de la liste des cratères de la Lune. Quand un cratère possède des cratères satellites, ceux ci sont décrits dans l article du cratère principal. Listes : A B C D E F G H I J K… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Sierra Club — Motto Explore, enjoy and protect the planet. Formation 1892 Headquarters San Francisco, CA, USA …   Wikipedia

  • Astronomical Society of the Pacific — Abbreviation ASP Formation 1889 Legal status Non profit organization Purpose/focus scientific research and public education in astronomy Location …   Wikipedia

  • Cloud atlas (disambiguation) — A cloud atlas is a compendium of cloud types. Cloud Atlas may refer to: Cloud Atlas (novel), a 2004 novel by David Mitchell Cloud Atlas (film), an upcoming film based on the 2004 novel International Cloud Atlas (1896 first edition), the first… …   Wikipedia

  • Cráteres lunares — Anexo:Cráteres lunares Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Esta es una lista de 1517 cráteres de impacto lunares que han sido nombrados. La convención de la UAI para nombrar estos accidentes selenográficos es la de usar los nombres aquellos fallecidos… …   Wikipedia Español

Share the article and excerpts

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