Edmond Halley, Geophysicist

FEB 01, 1988

Famous for the comet that bears his name and for his efforts in getting Newton’s Principia published, Halley was a founding father of geophysics holding a special interest in geomagnetism.

DOI: 10.1063/1.881144

Michael E. Evans

The recent passage of Comet Halley produced a great deal of scientific activity as well as the usual plethora of books, articles and diverse paraphernalia. So why add more? My excuse is that although Edmond Halley is famous for his comet—and rightly so—his contributions to scientific knowledge were much wider than is generally appreciated. Indeed, cometary matters represent a very small fraction of his work. Even if he had made none of his astronomical and other contributions, however, Halley would have left us an important legacy as one of the world’s first geophysicists.

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References

1. E. F. MacPike, Correspondence and Papers of Edmond Halley, Oxford U.P., Oxford (1932).
2. Anonymous, Nature 21, 303 (1880).https://doi.org/NATUAS
3. E. Halley, “A Theory of the Variation of the Magnetical Compass,” Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London 13, 208 (1683).https://doi.org/PTRSAV
4. J. Needham, Science and Civilization in China, Vol. 4: Physics and Physical Technology, Part 1, Physics, Cambridge U.P., New York (1962).
5. W. Gilbert, De Magnete (1600);
reprinted by Dover, New York (1958).
6. J. Bloxham, D. Gubbins, Nature 317, 777 (1985).https://doi.org/NATUAS
7. E. Halley, “An account of the cause of the change of the variation of the magnetical needle with a hypothesis of the structure of the internal parts of the Earth,” Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London 17, 563 (1692).https://doi.org/PTRSAV
8. N. J. W. Thrower, ed., The Three Voyages of Edmond Halley in the Paramore, 1693–1701, Hakluyt Society, London (1981).
9. E. Halley, “An account of the late surprizing appearance of Lights seen in the Air, on the sixth of March last; with an attempt to explain the principal phenomena thereof,” Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London 21, 406 (1716).https://doi.org/PTRSAV
10. C. A. Ronan, Genius in Eclipse: A Biography of Edmond Halley, Doubleday, New York (1969).
11. Biographia Britannica 4, 2516 (1757).

More about the Authors

Michael E. Evans. University of Alberto, Edmonton, Canada.