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GP: Fachverband Geschichte der Physik

GP 1: Understanding the Environment

GP 1.2: Talk

Monday, February 26, 2024, 17:30–18:00, ELP 3: HS 2.33

Air, Ice and Smoke: the Discourse Sourrounding an Experimental Model in Meteorology circa 1850 — •Johannes-Geert Hagmann — Deutsches Museum, Munich

Simulations play a crucial role in contemporary climate research. The exploration of describing and, ideally, predicting global weather phenomena through modeling has been a subject of inquiry since the 19th century. Around 1850, Friedrich Vettin (1820-1905), a physician and amateur researcher, investigated air flow using a simplified model. His laboratory experiments visualized the interaction between cold and warm zones on a rotating disk through the use of smoke. This case study revisits the discussion surrounding the unconventional use of experimental models in an emerging discipline. We argue that, despite slow acceptance, Vettin's approach made a lasting methodological contribution to meteorology.

Keywords: meteorology; earth modelling; atmospheric flow; scientific debate