Meteorology Gallery

Galapagos Admiralty map by Fitzroy Beagle

Admiralty map of Galapagos 1845 resulting from Captain Robert Fitzroy's Beagle charts, overlain with a portion of a letter written by Fitzroy. Robert Fitzroy (b. 5 July 1805- d. 30 April 1865) was famous as the captain of HMS Beagle who, requiring a Gentleman's companion to avert the risk of depression and suicide, took the young Charles Darwin on his voyage. Darwin respected the captain while at the same time fearing Fitzroy would always be his own worst enemy. After his trip Darwin referred to the Galapagos (and also South American megafauna fossils) as being the origin of all his views. Fitzroy is also remembered for his contributions to meteorology (he pioneered weather forecasting) and as a Governor of New Zealand from 1843-1845. Fitzroy committed suicide at 59, but the charts he produced continued to be used up to the second World War

© PAUL D STEWART/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Australia, satellite image

Australia. Satellite image of the Earth, set against a background of stars, centred on the island continent of Australia. North is at top. Clouds (white) are seen in the atmosphere. On the surface, seas and oceans (blue) surround the land. Land cover ranges from vegetation such as forests and grassy plains (green) to arid areas such as deserts, mountains, and scrublands (brown). Most of Australia is an arid desert, with rainforests in some coastal areas. To the north are the islands of the Malay Archipelago, to the east the Pacific islands, and to the south-east New Zealand (all covered in clouds). This image, from 2001, combines data from a variety of satellite sensors (AVHRR, SeaWiFS, MODIS) at a range of wavelengths

© NASA/NOAA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Lightning in New Mexico, USA

Lightning. Night-time view of multiple bolts of lightning striking the ground. Lightning occurs when a large, electrical charge builds up in a cloud. This is probably due to the rapid movement of water droplets and ice particles within the cloud. Large thunderclouds generally have very turbulent interiors. The charge induces an opposite charge on the ground, and a few "leader electrons" travel to the ground. When one makes contact, there is a huge backflow of energy up the path of the electron. This produces a bright flash of light and temperatures of up to 30, 000 degrees celsius. Photographed near Lordsburg, New Mexico, USA

© KEITH KENT/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY