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Alexander Buchan

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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"ALEXANDER BUCHAN (1829-1907), British meteorologist, was born at Kinneswood, Kinross, April 11 1829. He was educated at the Free Church normal school and the university of Edinburgh. From 1848 to 1860 he worked as a teacher, but in 1860 was appointed secretary to the Scottish Meteorological Society, and in 1869 published his first series of monthly charts showing the mean distribution of atmospheric pressure over the globe, which remained for many years a landmark in the progress of meteorology. In 18 7 8 he became curator of the library of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and in 1887 a member of the meteorological council of the Royal Society. He published a Handy Book of Meteorology (1867); Introductory Textbook of Meteorology (1871); besides a report on The Weather and Health of London (with Sir Arthur Mitchell), and edited sections on Oceanic Circulation (1895) and the volume on Atmospheric Circulation (1889) in the voyage of H.M.S. " Challenger." He received the Makdougall-Brisbane prize (1876) and the Gunning Victoria Jubilee prize (1893) of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, besides the Symons medal of the Royal Meteorological Society, and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1898. He died at Edinburgh May 13 1907.