William Henry Dines facts for kids

William Henry Dines was an important English meteorologist. He was born on August 5, 1855, and passed away on December 24, 1927. Dines made many discoveries about the weather and the air above us.

Early Life and Education

William Henry Dines was born in London. His father, George Dines, was also a meteorologist. This means he studied the weather too.

William went to Woodcote House School in Windlesham. Later, he studied at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He was very good at math. In 1881, he earned a top degree in mathematics.

Studying the Wind

After college, Dines started working for the Royal Meteorological Society. He studied how strong the wind was. He wanted to understand wind forces better.

To do this, he invented a special tool. It was called the Dines pressure-tube anemometer. An anemometer is a device that measures wind speed. His invention helped scientists measure wind more accurately.

Exploring the Upper Air

In 1901, Dines began to study the air high above the Earth. This is called the upper air. He designed new tools for this research. Some of these tools were used with kites.

He also improved a type of kite called the Hargraves box-kite. These kites were very useful for carrying instruments high up. They helped collect important data about the atmosphere.

Working with the Meteorological Office

In 1905, the Meteorological Office hired Dines. He became the director of experiments. His job was to lead studies on the upper air.

In 1907, he created a meteorograph. This instrument was designed to be used with balloons. It could measure different things like temperature and pressure in the air.

Dines also worked with another scientist, Dr. Napier Shaw. Together, they created other useful instruments. These included the microbarograph and a special recording mercury barometer.

Achievements and Recognition

William Henry Dines was a respected scientist. From 1901 to 1902, he was the President of the Royal Meteorological Society. In 1905, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.

Even though he wasn't a full-time professor, he was part of important groups. He was a member of the International Commission for Scientific Aeronautics. He also joined many scientific societies in other countries.

Dines wrote many important papers. These papers were about the meteorology of the upper atmosphere. They were published in scientific journals.

Family and Legacy

William Henry Dines lived in different places in Oxfordshire. He lived at Pyrton House from 1906 to 1913. Then he moved to Colne House in Benson from 1913 to 1927.

There is a special plaque in Benson that remembers him. It is called an Oxfordshire Blue Plaque.

Dines had two sons, John Somers Dines and Lewen Henry George Dines. Both of his sons followed in their father's footsteps. They also became meteorologists.