To Discipline or to Trust? The Role of the Amateur’s Observers in the Early Meteorological Networks in Chile (1852-1880)

• In Event: Observational networks and the social domestication of the weather and climate in Latin America (late 18th century-early 20th century)

English Abstract

My objective in this presentation is to make an exploratory approach to the role of amateur’s observers in the early stages of meteorological discipline in Chile. I maintain that the contribution of the amateurs was crucial to set up an incipient network of meteorological observation, throughout the national territory during XIX century. I will argue that, in the construction of this network, converged attempts to discipline the observers with the autonomy and trust placed in them for the collection of atmospheric data. This phenomenon, which encompasses apparently contradictory elements such as discipline and autonomy, could be explained by the weakness in the centralized scientific institutions –the National Astronomical Observatory (NAO) and the Meteorological Office– to supervise standardized procedures related to forms and hours of observation, calibration and use of instruments, etc.
Two kind of sources are used in this work. The first is the scientific journal Anales de la Universidad de Chile. In this source it can be found the observation instructions elaborated by the NAO and the Meteorological Office. This information allows us to know the instructions and observations methods given by the centralized scientific institutions to the amateur observers. The second source are the reports of the NAO and Meteorological Office to the government. These reports show the advances and difficulties in data collection in the observation network. The comparison of both sources enables us to observe to what extent the observation instructions were fulfilled, as well as the problems and adaptations in this process. Thus, it will be possible to make a preliminary evaluation of the degree of autonomy and discipline that the amateur observers had.

Author

• Stefan Meier, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile