Henry Francis Blanford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Francis Blanford
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| Born | 3 June 1834 Whitefriars, London, United Kingdom
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| Died | 23 January 1893 (aged 58) Folkestone, United Kingdom
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| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Royal School of Mines |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Metereology, Paleontology |
| Institutions | India Meteorological Department |
Henry Francis Blanford (born June 3, 1834 – died January 23, 1893) was a British scientist. He studied the weather (a meteorologist) and ancient life forms (a palaeontologist). Henry worked in India for many years. He was the younger brother of William Thomas Blanford, who studied nature. Both brothers started working for the Geological Survey of India in 1855. Henry Blanford became India's first official weather expert, called the Imperial Meteorological Reporter, in 1875.
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Early Life and Education
Henry Blanford was born in London, England, in 1834. His father ran a workshop that made fancy frames. Henry went to school in Brighton, England, and Brussels, Belgium.
He later studied design at Somerset House and Marlborough House. In 1851, he joined the Royal School of Mines in London. There, he learned from important scientists like Henry De la Beche. He even received a special scholarship from the Duke of Cornwall. After this, he spent a year studying at the Bergakademie Freiberg, a mining academy in Germany.
Working in India
In 1855, Henry and his brother William went to India. They joined the Geological Survey of India. Henry's first job was to study coal deposits in a place called Talcher. While there, he found signs that ice had helped form a special type of rock bed.
From 1856, Henry worked as a curator at the Museum of Geology in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He also taught geology at Presidency College during the winter months. In 1857, he studied ancient rock layers in southern India.
In 1861, Henry had to leave India because he wasn't feeling well. He returned to Europe to recover. But he came back to India the very next year! He became a professor of physics and chemistry at Presidency College, a job he held until 1872.
India's First Weather Expert
Henry Blanford became very interested in meteorology, the study of weather, after he became a professor. In 1864, powerful cyclones hit eastern India. These storms killed many people and damaged the port of Calcutta. Blanford helped write a report about these terrible storms.
Because of his work, he was chosen to help create a system to warn ships and people about upcoming storms. In 1867, Blanford was put in charge of the weather department for the Bengal Province. This department covered Calcutta.
Starting the India Meteorological Department
Soon, people realized that having many small, local weather organizations wasn't working well. So, in 1875, the India Meteorological Department was created. Henry Blanford was put in charge of this new, country-wide department.
His job was to collect weather data from all over India. Then, he would analyze this information and share it with everyone. He started publishing the department's scientific findings in a report.
Predicting Monsoons
Blanford also began making long-term weather forecasts. He found a connection between the amount of snow in the Himalayas and the amount of rainfall in the rest of India. Using this method, he was able to predict that the monsoon rains would be low in 1885.
His prediction of a drought was noticed by an Australian weather expert, Charles Todd. When another drought happened in 1888, Todd realized that these weather events were happening at the same time in different parts of the world. Later, another scientist, Gilbert Walker, studied this more and understood that weather patterns can affect the whole planet.
Awards and Later Life
Henry Blanford was recognized for his important work. He became a Fellow of the Geological Society in 1862. In 1880, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a very high honor for scientists in Britain. He also served as president of the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1884–85.
On June 20, 1867, Henry married Charlotte Mackenzie. They had three daughters and one son. Sadly, his health declined, and he had to return to England. He passed away from cancer in Folkestone, Kent, in 1893. He was buried in his family's vault at Highgate Cemetery.
Images for kids
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Family vault of Henry Francis Blanford in Highgate Cemetery
