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Experiment
John Tyndall is referred to as the “Founder of Climate Science” because of his extensive research and experimentation that lead to the discovery of how vast differences in water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases absorb and transmit radiant heat (Graham, 1999). Tyndall invented a differential spectrometer, in which he used to measure heat loss in a controlled environment (Hawkins, 2018). -
Period: to
9 May 1859 - 20 Nov 1860
Radiative Properties of Various Gases -
Discovery
The results presented to the scientific community created a paradigm shift in how molecules were used to calculate and determine the decay of the Earth’s ozone layer. The “Greenhouse Effect” as it would be later termed, is vital to the life of everything on the planet.
John Tyndall’s discovery and utilization of the of the scientific theory would have made Thomas Kuhn proud as he included almost every requirement for his “characteristics of a good scientific theory”. -
Relation
I found it very intriguing that Tyndall’s formulated works directly impacts my job duties with the United States Air Force. As a technician with a refrigerant certification, I work on refrigerant systems that use Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) to reduce the impact on the ozone layer. In efforts to reduce emissions to the environment, the use of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) was stopped by the year 2000 per International mandates ("Hydrochloroflourocarbons"). -
Citations
Graham, Steve. “John Tyndall”, 8 October 1999, https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Tyndall/?src=share. Assessed 22 Jun 2018. Hawkins, Ed. “John Tyndall, founder of climate science?”, 26 April 2018, https://www.climate-lab-book.ac.uk/2018/john-tyndall-founder-of-climate-science/. Assessed 23 June 2018. Hydrochloroflourocarbons, Encyclopedia, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/historians-and-chronicles/historians-miscellaneous-biographies/hydrochlorofluorocarbons.
Assessed 21 June 2018. -
Impact
These effects can be directly linked to the foundation of Tyndall’s research and the science of how different molecules absorb radiant heat. Scientists, activists, and nations all over the world continue to expand his research by analyzing the influences the human species has on the degradation of the ozone layer.