VIRTUAL | Picturing the Atmosphere: Photography and the Advancement of Atmospheric Science
LOCATION
SPEAKER: Professor Terrence Nathan, University of California
ABSTRACT: A “victory for science,” exclaimed an eyewitness to the public announcement of the invention of photography in Paris in 1839. Indeed, there is no tool that has aided in the discovery of more phenomena and that has advanced scientific knowledge across more disciplines than photography. And this is perhaps most evident for atmospheric science, where photography has been central to the discovery, measurement, and documentation of myriad phenomena, many of which are brought to light solely by the action of photography. In this talk I will discuss how photography has advanced understanding of several atmospheric phenomena, including: the stratospheric ozone layer; the flight of thunderbolts; the shattering of colliding raindrops; the crystalline structure of snowflakes; the forensic analysis of tornadoes, and the inexorable warming of Earth’s climate.
BIOGRAPHY: Terrence Nathan is a professor of atmospheric science at the University of California, Davis, where he teaches courses on atmospheric dynamics in the Atmospheric Science Program, and a course on the intersection between photography, art and science in the Science and Society Program. His current research is centered on the role of Saharan dust storms on hurricane development; the effects of weather and climate on the trans-Atlantic slave trade; and the historical connection between photography and atmospheric science. Terry also lectures on the history of photography at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California and teaches photography workshops at Lassen National Park.
SPEAKER: Professor Terrence Nathan, University of California
ABSTRACT: A “victory for science,” exclaimed an eyewitness to the public announcement of the invention of photography in Paris in 1839. Indeed, there is no tool that has aided in the discovery of more phenomena and that has advanced scientific knowledge across more disciplines than photography. And this is perhaps most evident for atmospheric science, where photography has been central to the discovery, measurement, and documentation of myriad phenomena, many of which are brought to light solely by the action of photography. In this talk I will discuss how photography has advanced understanding of several atmospheric phenomena, including: the stratospheric ozone layer; the flight of thunderbolts; the shattering of colliding raindrops; the crystalline structure of snowflakes; the forensic analysis of tornadoes, and the inexorable warming of Earth’s climate.
BIOGRAPHY: Terrence Nathan is a professor of atmospheric science at the University of California, Davis, where he teaches courses on atmospheric dynamics in the Atmospheric Science Program, and a course on the intersection between photography, art and science in the Science and Society Program. His current research is centered on the role of Saharan dust storms on hurricane development; the effects of weather and climate on the trans-Atlantic slave trade; and the historical connection between photography and atmospheric science. Terry also lectures on the history of photography at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California and teaches photography workshops at Lassen National Park.
