Wind and Hurricane Map by A.K. Johnston, 1852

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Wind and Hurricane Map by A.K. Johnston – Meteorological Chart 1852 This scientifically significant 1852 map titled "The Distribution of … Read more Wind and Hurricane Map by A.K. Johnston – Meteorological Chart 1852 This scientifically significant 1852 map titled "The Distribution of the Constant, Periodical & Variable Winds Over the Globe and the Regions Visited by Storms & Hurricanes" was produced by Alexander Keith Johnston and published by William Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh and London. Issued as Plate 13 from Johnston’s acclaimed *Physical Atlas of Natural Phenomena*, this chart represents one of the earliest comprehensive visualizations of global wind patterns and storm activity. The map displays worldwide atmospheric circulation zones, including the trade winds, westerlies, monsoons, and polar winds. Shaded areas and directional arrows show the dominant wind flows across latitudes, while regions of calms, such as the doldrums and horse latitudes, are clearly marked. The map is divided into latitudinal climate bands, offering a framework that reveals how wind systems vary seasonally and geographically. Particularly notable are the detailed insets at the bottom, which highlight: * The course of the Rodriguez hurricane on 13 April 1843. * Seasonal monsoon shifts in the Indian Ocean. * The pattern of hurricanes in the West Indies. * Zones of equatorial and subtropical wind divergence. These inset diagrams combine observational data with early meteorological theory, helping to explain how storms originate and travel—an especially important concept during an era of global exploration and colonial maritime trade. See less