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 While popularly known for his role as
one of the United States’ founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin was also a
renowned scientist who made a number of substantial contributions in the
field of Earth science. Affectionately known as Dr. Franklin (even
though he never received his Ph.D.), he published numerous scientific
papers—mostly on electricity. Franklin became a scientist because he
was insatiably curious about the world around him. He wanted to know how
things worked and figure out ways to make them better.
In 1743, Franklin compared weather observations in letters he received from friends in other colonies. He was one of the first to observe that North American storms tend to move from west to east, and predicted that a storm's course could be plotted. He even made some of the first-recorded weather forecasts in his Poor Richard’s Almanac, a 25-year publication that Franklin first published in 1732 under the pseudonym of Richard Saunders.
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 On the Shoulders of Giants
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Bottom: Franklin and his son, William, performing their legendary experiment in the midst of a thunderstorm. Courtesy Library of Congress | ||
In 1752, Franklin, along with his son William, performed his famous
kite-flying experiment which proved that lightning is a
naturally-occurring electrical phenomenon. The kite was constructed with
a sharp metallic wire situated on top and at the end of the kite string,
and a key tied to the end of the string with a silk ribbon. When
Franklin saw loose threads on the kite string stand up, he grounded the
makeshift insulated conductor by touching his knuckle to the metal key
on the string. Consequently, he observed a passing spark between his
knuckle and the key, which presented the final proof of lightning's
electrical nature. Miraculously, the charge was not strong enough to be
fatal to Franklin or his son. (Under normal circumstances, a lightning
strike can instantly kill any individuals bold enough to fly a kite
during a thunderstorm.)
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| In 1763, Franklin took part in discussions with colonial scholars about
the effects of deforestation on local climate. As forests were cleared
for farming in the early American colonies, Franklin agreed with the
other colonials that "cleared land absorbs more heat and melts snow
quicker." However, he thought that many years of observations were
necessary before any conclusive evidence could be gathered on the
effects of deforestation on the local climate.
In the last years of his life, Franklin conducted studies on the effects that volcanic eruptions might have on weather patterns, cloud formation, and cloud electrification. He hypothesized that the severe Northern Hemisphere winter of 1783–84 was linked to the volcanic eruption occurring in Iceland in the summer of 1783. Franklin suggested that there was a reduction in the amount of solar energy received at the Earth's surface after the volcanic eruption due to the ash and other particles inserted into the atmosphere. back: Benjamin Franklin
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 On the Shoulders of Giants
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In addition to his meteorological prowess, Franklin also published the
first scientific chart of the North Atlantic’s Gulf Stream. He
hypothesized that the trade winds cause the Gulf Stream by driving warm
waters into the Gulf of Mexico, from where they exit by way of the
Florida Strait and proceed to form the Gulf Stream. In 1775, on his way
to England, Franklin lowered a thermometer into the Atlantic and found
the Gulf Stream to be 6° F warmer than the surrounding sea and,
subsequently, produced the first chart of the current.
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Internet References
The Franklin Institute Science Museum
ThinkQuest Library
Print References
Parkinson, C. L., 1985: Breakthroughs: A Chronology of Great Achievements in Science and Mathematics, G. K. Hall & Company, Boston, 576 pp. Manuel, Diane, 1996: Encyclopedia of Weather and Climate, Oxford University Press, New York, 315 pp. back: Franklin's Climate Studies
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On the Shoulders of Giants
Benjamin Franklin Franklin's Climate Studies Links and References
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