George Clarke Simpson Biography

Birth of George Clarke Simpson

Becomes the first person to lecture in meteorology at a British university when he was appointed lecturer at the University of Manchester

joined the Indian Meteorological Service as an Imperial Meteorologist at their headquarters in Simla and inspected many of the meteorological stations in India and Burma

Joins the expedition as meteorologist.

George Clarke Simpson joins Scott's Terra Nova expedition as meteorologist and prepares to direct the expedition's weather observations.

Uses balloon observations to study upper-air conditions.

Directs regular weather measurements at the expedition base.

Simpson operates meteorological stations around Cape Evans using recording instruments to maintain a continuous local weather record.

Uses balloons to investigate temperature and winds above Antarctica.

Maintains meteorological instruments at Cape Evans.

Simpson establishes his meteorological working area within the Cape Evans hut for regular atmospheric observations.

Simpson conducts balloon experiments to investigate atmospheric conditions above Cape Evans.

Simpson resumes upper-air observations by launching a balloon from Cape Evans.

Simpson recorded the temperature and wind observations at the base camp at Cape Evans.

Given the nickname Sunny Jim by the other expedition members, George Simpson constructed one of the continent's first weather stations, conducting balloon experiments to test the atmosphere and determine how altitude affects temperature.

Simpson is given command of the Cape Evans weather station for several months when Scott and the southern parties leave in November 1911.

Made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Appointed Director of the Meteorological Office

Establishes the Simpson wind force scale, a modification of the Beaufort wind force scale which is the current standard scale used worldwide; still called the Beaufort wind force scale

Receives a knighthood

Appointed President of the British Meteorological Society

Death of George Clarke Simpson