Gordon Manley
Encyclopedia
Gordon Valentine Manley, FRGS (3 January 1902 – 29 January 1980) was an English climatologist who assembled the Central England temperature
(CET) series of monthly mean temperatures stretching back to 1659. This is the longest standardised instrumental record available for anywhere in the world. It provides a benchmark for proxy records of climatic change for the period covered, and is a notable example of scientific scholarship and perseverance (it took over thirty years to complete). His two papers describing the work are available online.http://www.rmets.org/publication/classics/index.php#m
. He was brought up in Blackburn, Lancashire
, where he attended Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
. After obtaining degrees in engineering and geography, Manley joined the Meteorological Office in 1925, but resigned the following year. In the summer of 1926 he was a member of the Cambridge Expedition to East Greenland
, which carried out much important research. Later that same year he began a lengthy career in academia when he became an assistant lecturer in geography at Birmingham University. His enthusiasm for his subject, his joy of learning and his wit made him an excellent teacher. In 1928 he was appointed a lecturer in geography at the University of Durham. He subsequently became a Senior Lecturer and founding Head of Department and Director of the University's Observatory
.
He became Curator of Durham University Observatory in 1931, where he did much work on standardising the long temperature record that dated back to the mid-nineteenth century. The following year, he started collecting data at Moor House in the northern Pennines
. He subsequently established a meteorological station close to the summit of Great Dun Fell
at 847m, which recorded data at three hour intervals from 1938 to 1940. This was the first series of mountain observations to be made in England.
, a north-east wind that the local topography causes to blow down the south-west slope of Cross Fell
in the Pennines with unusual strength. Manley interpreted the phenomenon in hydrodynamic terms as a "standing wave
" and "rotor", a model confirmed in 1939 by glider flights.
, but he continued his research and teaching of students from Cambridge and Bedford College, London (the latter institution having been evacuated to Cambridge).
The Royal Meteorological Society
's magazine Weather, whose objective was (and still is) to make developments in meteorology accessible to a wider public, started in 1946 during his presidency and benefited from his encouragement.
From 1948 to 1964, Manley was Professor of Geography at Bedford College for Women in the University of London
. He maintained his links with Cambridge, one result being the joint participation of undergraduates from both institutions in expeditions to Norway
and Iceland
.
In 1952 Collins published his Climate and the British Scene in their New Naturalist
series. This book, easily accessible to the non-academic reader, was one of his greatest contributions to British climatology. His flair for writing entertainingly as well as informatively about the climate helped him to write a long series of articles for the Manchester Guardian from 1952 onwards about weather and climate events that were of topical interest.
In 1964, at the age of 62, he took on the challenge of founding the new department of Environmental Studies at the equally new Lancaster University
. In 1967 he retired and moved back to Cambridge, but he remained a Research Associate. During this period, his research on Manchester
rainfall and on Central England temperatures was finally published. The Central England temperature series continues to be updated each month by the UK Meteorological Office.
During 1969-70 he was a Visiting Professor of Meteorology at Texas A&M University
. For the rest of his life he continued working and publishing. In all he wrote 182 papers from 1927 onwards. At the time of his death he was assembling instrumental data for the north of England and Scotland back to the 18th century.
He is buried in Coton
churchyard.
Central England temperature
The Central England Temperature record was originally published by Professor Gordon Manley in 1953 and subsequently extended and updated in 1974, following many decades of painstaking work...
(CET) series of monthly mean temperatures stretching back to 1659. This is the longest standardised instrumental record available for anywhere in the world. It provides a benchmark for proxy records of climatic change for the period covered, and is a notable example of scientific scholarship and perseverance (it took over thirty years to complete). His two papers describing the work are available online.http://www.rmets.org/publication/classics/index.php#m
Early life and career
Gordon Manley was born at Douglas, Isle of ManDouglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
. He was brought up in Blackburn, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, where he attended Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School is a co-educational independent school in Blackburn, Lancashire, founded in 1509 as a boys' school. The term "school" is usually used to collectively refer to the following:...
. After obtaining degrees in engineering and geography, Manley joined the Meteorological Office in 1925, but resigned the following year. In the summer of 1926 he was a member of the Cambridge Expedition to East Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, which carried out much important research. Later that same year he began a lengthy career in academia when he became an assistant lecturer in geography at Birmingham University. His enthusiasm for his subject, his joy of learning and his wit made him an excellent teacher. In 1928 he was appointed a lecturer in geography at the University of Durham. He subsequently became a Senior Lecturer and founding Head of Department and Director of the University's Observatory
Durham University Observatory
The Durham University Observatory is a weather observatory owned and operated by the University of Durham. It is a Grade II listed building located at Potters Bank, Durham and was founded in 1839 initially as an astronomical and meteorological observatory by Temple Chevallier until 1937 when the...
.
He became Curator of Durham University Observatory in 1931, where he did much work on standardising the long temperature record that dated back to the mid-nineteenth century. The following year, he started collecting data at Moor House in the northern Pennines
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
. He subsequently established a meteorological station close to the summit of Great Dun Fell
Great Dun Fell
Great Dun Fell is the second-highest hill in the Pennine range, United Kingdom, lying two miles south along the watershed from Cross Fell, its higher neighbour...
at 847m, which recorded data at three hour intervals from 1938 to 1940. This was the first series of mountain observations to be made in England.
Helm wind
From 1937 he carried out valuable research into the Helm WindHelm Wind
The Helm Wind is a named wind in Cumbria, England, a strong north-easterly wind which blows down the south-west slope of the Cross Fell escarpment. It is the only named wind in the British Isles, although many other mountain regions in Britain exhibit the same phenomenon when the weather conditions...
, a north-east wind that the local topography causes to blow down the south-west slope of Cross Fell
Cross Fell
Cross Fell is the highest point in the Pennine Hills of northern England and the highest point in England outside of the Lake District.The summit, at , is a stony plateau, part of a long ridge running North West to South East, which also incorporates Little Dun Fell at and Great Dun Fell at...
in the Pennines with unusual strength. Manley interpreted the phenomenon in hydrodynamic terms as a "standing wave
Standing wave
In physics, a standing wave – also known as a stationary wave – is a wave that remains in a constant position.This phenomenon can occur because the medium is moving in the opposite direction to the wave, or it can arise in a stationary medium as a result of interference between two waves traveling...
" and "rotor", a model confirmed in 1939 by glider flights.
Later career
In 1939 he left Durham to become a Demonstrator in Geography at Cambridge University. From 1942 to 1945 he was a Flight Lieutenant in Cambridge University Air SquadronCambridge University Air Squadron
Cambridge University Air Squadron, abbreviated CUAS, formed in 1925, is the training unit of the Royal Air Force at the University of Cambridge and forms part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. It is the oldest of 14 University Air Squadrons in the UK...
, but he continued his research and teaching of students from Cambridge and Bedford College, London (the latter institution having been evacuated to Cambridge).
The Royal Meteorological Society
Royal Meteorological Society
The Royal Meteorological Society traces its origins back to 3 April 1850 when the British Meteorological Society was formed as a society the objects of which should be the advancement and extension of meteorological science by determining the laws of climate and of meteorological phenomena in general...
's magazine Weather, whose objective was (and still is) to make developments in meteorology accessible to a wider public, started in 1946 during his presidency and benefited from his encouragement.
From 1948 to 1964, Manley was Professor of Geography at Bedford College for Women in the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. He maintained his links with Cambridge, one result being the joint participation of undergraduates from both institutions in expeditions to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
In 1952 Collins published his Climate and the British Scene in their New Naturalist
New Naturalist
The New Naturalist Library books are a series published by Collins in the United Kingdom, on a variety of natural history topics relevant to the British Isles...
series. This book, easily accessible to the non-academic reader, was one of his greatest contributions to British climatology. His flair for writing entertainingly as well as informatively about the climate helped him to write a long series of articles for the Manchester Guardian from 1952 onwards about weather and climate events that were of topical interest.
In 1964, at the age of 62, he took on the challenge of founding the new department of Environmental Studies at the equally new Lancaster University
Lancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
. In 1967 he retired and moved back to Cambridge, but he remained a Research Associate. During this period, his research on Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
rainfall and on Central England temperatures was finally published. The Central England temperature series continues to be updated each month by the UK Meteorological Office.
During 1969-70 he was a Visiting Professor of Meteorology at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
. For the rest of his life he continued working and publishing. In all he wrote 182 papers from 1927 onwards. At the time of his death he was assembling instrumental data for the north of England and Scotland back to the 18th century.
He is buried in Coton
Coton, Cambridgeshire
Coton is a small village and civil parish about two miles west of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England and about the same distance east of the Prime Meridian. It belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire. The parish covers an area of 392 hectares...
churchyard.
Books and Selected Papers
Note: The second and third items are those referred to in the footnote above and are available online. They are large PDF files.- Manley, Gordon. Climate and the British Scene: New NaturalistNew NaturalistThe New Naturalist Library books are a series published by Collins in the United Kingdom, on a variety of natural history topics relevant to the British Isles...
No. 22 (1st edition), Collins, 1952. - Manley, G., 1953. "The mean temperature of central England, 1698-1952." Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 79, (340), 242-261.
- Manley, G., 1974. "Central England temperatures: monthly means 1659 to 1973." Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 100, (425), 389-405.
Awards and achievements
- BSc(Hons) in engineering, Manchester University (1921)
- BSc in geography (double first), Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (1923)
- Appointed Fellow of the Royal Geographical SocietyRoyal Geographical SocietyThe Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
(1927) - Appointed Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society (1932)
- MSc (external candidate), Manchester University (1938)
- Buchan Prize of the Royal Meteorological Society (jointly with Dr TEW Schuman) (1943)
- Gave the GJ Symons Memorial Lecture (1944)
- President of the Royal Meteorological Society (1945-7)
- Awarded the Murchison Grant of the Royal Geographical Society (1947)
- Member of the council of the Royal Geographical Society (1952-4)
- DSc, Manchester University (1958)
- DSc honoris causa, Durham University (1979)
- On May 22, 2007, the Gordon_Manley Building, (LEC III), named in his honour, was opened at the Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster Environment CentreThe Lancaster Environment Centre in Lancaster, England, is a new centre for teaching, research and collaboration at Lancaster University.The building is a joint investment by NERC / CEH and Lancaster University, currently totalling £20M...
by Lord Rees of Ludlow KtMartin Rees, Baron Rees of LudlowMartin John Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow, OM, FRS is a British cosmologist and astrophysicist. He has been Astronomer Royal since 1995 and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge since 2004...
.
External links
- "A Moor House Pioneer." Briefly describes Manley's career, mainly concentrating on his work at Moor House.