C.H.D. Buys Ballot

C. H. D. Buys Ballot
C. H. D. Buys Ballot
Born	October 10, 1817 Kloetinge, Netherlands
Died	February 3, 1890 (1890-02-04) (aged 72) Utrecht, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Fields	chemistry meteorology
Alma mater	University of Utrecht
Known for	Buys-Ballot's law

Christophorus Henricus Diedericus Buys Ballot (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbœys ˈbɑlɔt]; October 10, 1817 – February 3, 1890) was a Dutch chemist and meteorologist after whom Buys Ballot's law and the Buys Ballot table are named.

Buys Ballot was the son of a Dutch Reformed minister, born in Kloetinge, Netherlands. He attended the Gymnasium at Zaltbommel and the Hogeschool (now University) of Utrecht. After receiving his doctorate in 1844, he became lecturer in mineralogy and geology at Utrecht; he added theoretical chemistry in 1846. In 1847 he was appointed professor of mathematics and from 1867 until his retirement he was professor of physics.

Buys Ballot tested the Doppler effect for sound waves in 1845 by using a group of musicians playing a calibrated note on a train in the Utrecht-Amsterdam line.

He died in the Dutch city of Utrecht.

Buys Ballot is best known for his accomplishments in the field of meteorology, specifically the explanation of the direction of air flow in large weather systems. Furthermore, he founded the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute in 1854 and he remained its chief director until his death. He was one of the first to see the need for international cooperation, and in 1873 became the first chairman of the International Meteorological Organization, a precursor of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).