Henrik Mohn
Encyclopedia
Henrik Mohn was a Norwegian astronomer and meteorologist. Although he enrolled in theology
studies after finishing school, he is credited with founding meteorological
research in Norway, being a professor at the Royal Frederick University
and director of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute
from 1866 to 1913.
as the son of Albert Henrik Mohn (1811–1894) and Ida Neumann (1814–1864). He was a brother of Jakob
and Emanuel Mohn
. On the maternal side, he was a grandson of bishop Jacob Neumann
.
He was married twice. In December 1863 he married Louise Nicoline Rieck (1836–1866). After she died, he married Julie Birgitte Dyblie (1847–1928) in July 1871. He was a granduncle of Frank and Albert Henrik Mohn
, and his niece Hanna married physician and politician Nils Yngvar Ustvedt
.
his secondary education at Bergen Cathedral School
in 1852, and then enrolled at the Royal Frederick University
. He originally studied theology
, then switched to physics
after attending lectures in that subject. He continued to study astronomy
and mineralogy
, graduating in the latter subject in 1858. To facilitate learning, he built his own telescope
. In 1860 he was hired as a research fellow of astronomy, having delivered an esteemed paper on the orbits of comet
s in the same year. In 1861, when long-time professor Christopher Hansteen
retired from an active academic career, Mohn became the new manager of the city astronomical observatory.
In this position, he soon became interested in meteorology
. His first article in the field, Stormene i Christiania fra 1837 til 1863 was published in 1863 in the journal Polyteknisk Tidsskrift, which he had edited from 1859 to 1862. He helped found the Norwegian Meteorological Institute
in 1866, and became its director from the start. At the same time he was appointed as a professor at the Royal Frederick University. One of his more important works, Om Vind og Veir. Meteorologiens Hovedresultater, was published in 1872 and translated into seven languages. His main work was Études sur les mouvements de l'atmosphère, written between 1876 and 1880 together with mathematician Cato Maximilian Guldberg
. In it, they used hydrodynamics and thermodynamics
to describe and explain meteorological phenomena. Mohn had participated in the North Sea Expedition from 1876 to 1878. In addition to conducting research, he took up an interest he had pursued in his youth; amateur painting. A painting of the island Jan Mayen
was later used for a 1957 stamp issued in Norway.
In his later career, Mohn published annual climate tables. He published a climate atlas in 1916, after he retired from his positions at the University and the Meteorological Institute in 1913.
from 1861, and the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
from 1870. In the Norwegian Academy he was a praeces and vice praeces (alternating) between 1896 and 1914. In 1874 Henrik Mohn was elected as senior honorary member of the Royal Meteorological Society
of London. He was a member of the council of the International Meteorological Organization
between 1873 and 1910. He was decorated as a Commander, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1915, and held several foreign orders of knighthood. A Festschrift
was planned together with the fiftieth anniversary of the Meteorological Institute, but cancelled due to Mohn's death in September 1916 in Kristiania
. The Mona Islands
in the Kara Sea
were named after Henrik Mohn by Fridtjof Nansen
, who published the first detailed maps of the Russia
n Arctic.
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
studies after finishing school, he is credited with founding meteorological
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
research in Norway, being a professor at the Royal Frederick University
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
and director of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Norwegian Meteorological Institute is the Norwegian national institute for weather forecasts.The three main offices are located in Oslo, Bergen and Tromsø. The Institute has around 500 employees and keeps around 650 paid observers of various kinds around the country...
from 1866 to 1913.
Personal life
He was born in BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
as the son of Albert Henrik Mohn (1811–1894) and Ida Neumann (1814–1864). He was a brother of Jakob
Jakob Mohn
Jakob Neumann Mohn was a Norwegian statistician.-Personal life:He was born in Bergen as a son of Albert Henrik Mohn and Ida Neumann . Originally named Jacob, he changed the spelling. He was a brother of Henrik and Emanuel Mohn. On the maternal side, he was a grandson of bishop Jacob Neumann...
and Emanuel Mohn
Emanuel Mohn
Emanuel Meyer Mohn was a Norwegian educator, known for writing about and illustrating mountains in Norway.He was born in Bergen to Albert Henrik Mohn and Ida Neumann . He was a brother of Henrik and Jakob Mohn, and on the maternal side he was a grandson of bishop Jacob Neumann. He did not marry...
. On the maternal side, he was a grandson of bishop Jacob Neumann
Jacob Neumann
-Personal life:He was born in Strømsø as a son of Hans Neumann and Annechen Johanne Blom , and a grandson of Jakob Hansen Neumann. He was also a first cousin of Gustav Peter Blom and Gustava Kielland and a second cousin of Christian Blom....
.
He was married twice. In December 1863 he married Louise Nicoline Rieck (1836–1866). After she died, he married Julie Birgitte Dyblie (1847–1928) in July 1871. He was a granduncle of Frank and Albert Henrik Mohn
Albert Henrik Mohn
Albert Henrik Mohn was a Norwegian journalist and correspondent.He was born in Bergen as a son of ship-owner and captain Sigurd Mohn and Margrete Oettinger . He was a brother of Frank Mohn and a grandnephew of Jakob, Henrik and Emanuel Mohn. He finished middle school in 1933 and commerce school...
, and his niece Hanna married physician and politician Nils Yngvar Ustvedt
Nils Yngvar Ustvedt
Nils Yngvar Ustvedt was a Norwegian medical doctor and politician for the Conservative Party. He worked as chief physician at Ullevål Hospital from 1916 to 1935, and before this he served one term in the Norwegian Parliament....
.
Career
He finishedExamen artium
Examen artium was the name of the academic certification conferred in Denmark and Norway, qualifying the student for admission to university studies. Examen artium was originally introduced as the entrance exam of the University of Copenhagen in 1630...
his secondary education at Bergen Cathedral School
Bergen katedralskole
Bergen katedralskole is an upper secondary school in Bergen, Norway...
in 1852, and then enrolled at the Royal Frederick University
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
. He originally studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, then switched to physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
after attending lectures in that subject. He continued to study astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and mineralogy
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...
, graduating in the latter subject in 1858. To facilitate learning, he built his own telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
. In 1860 he was hired as a research fellow of astronomy, having delivered an esteemed paper on the orbits of comet
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
s in the same year. In 1861, when long-time professor Christopher Hansteen
Christopher Hansteen
Christopher Hansteen was a Norwegian geophysicist, astronomer and physicist, best known for his mapping of Earth's magnetic field.-Early life and career:...
retired from an active academic career, Mohn became the new manager of the city astronomical observatory.
In this position, he soon became interested in meteorology
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
. His first article in the field, Stormene i Christiania fra 1837 til 1863 was published in 1863 in the journal Polyteknisk Tidsskrift, which he had edited from 1859 to 1862. He helped found the Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Norwegian Meteorological Institute is the Norwegian national institute for weather forecasts.The three main offices are located in Oslo, Bergen and Tromsø. The Institute has around 500 employees and keeps around 650 paid observers of various kinds around the country...
in 1866, and became its director from the start. At the same time he was appointed as a professor at the Royal Frederick University. One of his more important works, Om Vind og Veir. Meteorologiens Hovedresultater, was published in 1872 and translated into seven languages. His main work was Études sur les mouvements de l'atmosphère, written between 1876 and 1880 together with mathematician Cato Maximilian Guldberg
Cato Maximilian Guldberg
Cato Maximilian Guldberg was a Norwegian mathematician and chemist.-Career:Guldberg worked at the Royal Frederick University. Together with his brother-in-law, Peter Waage, he proposed the law of mass action...
. In it, they used hydrodynamics and thermodynamics
Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics is a physical science that studies the effects on material bodies, and on radiation in regions of space, of transfer of heat and of work done on or by the bodies or radiation...
to describe and explain meteorological phenomena. Mohn had participated in the North Sea Expedition from 1876 to 1878. In addition to conducting research, he took up an interest he had pursued in his youth; amateur painting. A painting of the island Jan Mayen
Jan Mayen
Jan Mayen Island is a volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean and part of the Kingdom of Norway. It is long and 373 km2 in area, partly covered by glaciers . It has two parts: larger northeast Nord-Jan and smaller Sør-Jan, linked by an isthmus wide...
was later used for a 1957 stamp issued in Norway.
In his later career, Mohn published annual climate tables. He published a climate atlas in 1916, after he retired from his positions at the University and the Meteorological Institute in 1913.
Recognition and legacy
Mohn was a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and LettersNorwegian Academy of Science and Letters
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway.-History:The University of Oslo was established in 1811. The idea of a learned society in Christiania surfaced for the first time in 1841. The city of Throndhjem had no university, but had a learned...
from 1861, and the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters is a learned society based in Trondheim, Norway.-History:DKNVS was founded in 1760 by bishop of Nidaros Johan Ernst Gunnerus, headmaster at the Trondheim Cathedral School Gerhard Schøning and Councillor of State Peter Frederik Suhm under the name...
from 1870. In the Norwegian Academy he was a praeces and vice praeces (alternating) between 1896 and 1914. In 1874 Henrik Mohn was elected as senior honorary member of 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...
of London. He was a member of the council of the International Meteorological Organization
International Meteorological Organization
The International Meteorological Organization was the first organization formed with the purpose of exchanging weather information among the countries of the world. It was born from the realization that weather systems move across country boundaries and knowledge of pressure, temperature,...
between 1873 and 1910. He was decorated as a Commander, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1915, and held several foreign orders of knighthood. A Festschrift
Festschrift
In academia, a Festschrift , is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during his or her lifetime. The term, borrowed from German, could be translated as celebration publication or celebratory writing...
was planned together with the fiftieth anniversary of the Meteorological Institute, but cancelled due to Mohn's death in September 1916 in Kristiania
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. The Mona Islands
Mona Islands
The Mona Islands is a group of a few scattered small islands covered with tundra vegetation. They are located in the Kara Sea, about 30 km north of the western coast of the Taymyr Peninsula in Siberia, Russia....
in the Kara Sea
Kara Sea
The Kara Sea is part of the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia. It is separated from the Barents Sea to the west by the Kara Strait and Novaya Zemlya, and the Laptev Sea to the east by the Severnaya Zemlya....
were named after Henrik Mohn by Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...
, who published the first detailed maps of the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Arctic.