160
When we consider the enormous amount of steam that is now artificially launched into the
atmosphere, and fuel extracted from the […] Earth […], it will not be difficult to persuade
oneself that in the large urban and industrial agglomerations the average temperature and
the degree of humidity cannot remain unchanged. And in fact, Mr. Glaisher [James Glaisher
(1809-1903), an English astronomer and meteorologist] found that the average temperature
in London has grown by about 2° in the last 50 years. (Secchi 1866: 20)
7
In examining possible local causes of climate change perceived in Rome, he
proposed a theory about relative heating, observed at his time, based on general
physical principles, such as heat exchange between the incoming air masses and the
icy surfaces they traversed, but without entering into why glaciers had retreated:
It is certain that the Alpine glaciers were more extensive in times not far from the present,
and whatever the cause of this fact, it cannot fail to affect the climate of our Italian region,
since the northern winds which arrive after crossing those icy peaks are cooled in proportion to the extent of the frozen region that they cross. (ibid.)
8
Secchi dealt with topics related to the geological and paleontological evidence
underlying the theory of glaciations, basing his descriptions on Antonio Stoppani’s
geological work (Stoppani 1871–1873; Esposito et al. 2015: 21–22), as he himself
wrote in his Lezioni di fisica terrestre (Secchi 1879). In the light of the geological
and paleontological proxies observed in Italy that were attributable to warmer and
colder periods of the past, he took note of the effects of climate change, but without
going into a theoretical discussion of the related causes. Like other scientists of his
time, Secchi had anticipated a new research approach regarding earth sciences and
climatology, today known as “paleoclimatology.” Only in the 1930s would it
become part of the group of disciplines (such as meteorology, oceanography, geomorphology, geography, hydrology, botany, geology, archeology) currently involved
in the interdisciplinary studies about climate change:
Geology may perhaps teach us on this point where history speaks very obscurely, […], as
while on the one hand it shows us the remains of tropical animals in our regions, on the
other one it present us those of frozen regions, and it is very difficult to distinguish the
respective eras […]. But […] the climate of Italy has certainly changed even after the
appearance of man. But this alteration seems to have been made apparently for the better,
that is, turning into a higher and milder temperature. (Secchi 1866: 20-21)
9
7 Quando consideriamo l’enorme quantità di vapore che ora artificialmente si lancia nell’atmosfera,
e del combustibile che estratto dalle viscere della terra torna alla luce per restituire la forza viva
immagazzinata dal sole per secoli e secoli in quei depositi, non sarà difficile a persuadersi che nei
grandi centri di popolazione e d’industria la media temperatura e il grado di umidità non possono
restare invariabili. E infatti il sig. Glaisher ha trovato che la media temperatura di Londra è cresciuta
di circa 2° in questi ultimi 50 anni.
8 È certo che i ghiacciai delle Alpi erano ad epoche non remote molto più estesi che non sono attualmente, e qualunque sia la causa di questo fatto, esso non può [fare] a meno di non influire sul
clima della nostra zona italica, poiché i venti settentrionali ci arrivano dopo esser passati per quelle
gelide cime, e concepiranno temperatura proporzionale alla estensione gelata che devono
attraversare.
9 La geologia forse potrà istruirci su questo punto in cui la storia parla assai oscuramente, ma essa
finora è troppo incerta nei suoi dettati, giacché mentre da un lato ci mostra nelle nostre regioni
avanzi di animali tropicali, dall’altro ce ne mostra di quelli delle regioni gelate, e il distinguere le
L. Iafrate and M. C. Beltrano
When we consider the enormous amount of steam that is now artificially launched into the
atmosphere, and fuel extracted from the […] Earth […], it will not be difficult to persuade
oneself that in the large urban and industrial agglomerations the average temperature and
the degree of humidity cannot remain unchanged. And in fact, Mr. Glaisher [James Glaisher
(1809-1903), an English astronomer and meteorologist] found that the average temperature
in London has grown by about 2° in the last 50 years. (Secchi 1866: 20)
7
In examining possible local causes of climate change perceived in Rome, he
proposed a theory about relative heating, observed at his time, based on general
physical principles, such as heat exchange between the incoming air masses and the
icy surfaces they traversed, but without entering into why glaciers had retreated:
It is certain that the Alpine glaciers were more extensive in times not far from the present,
and whatever the cause of this fact, it cannot fail to affect the climate of our Italian region,
since the northern winds which arrive after crossing those icy peaks are cooled in proportion to the extent of the frozen region that they cross. (ibid.)
8
Secchi dealt with topics related to the geological and paleontological evidence
underlying the theory of glaciations, basing his descriptions on Antonio Stoppani’s
geological work (Stoppani 1871–1873; Esposito et al. 2015: 21–22), as he himself
wrote in his Lezioni di fisica terrestre (Secchi 1879). In the light of the geological
and paleontological proxies observed in Italy that were attributable to warmer and
colder periods of the past, he took note of the effects of climate change, but without
going into a theoretical discussion of the related causes. Like other scientists of his
time, Secchi had anticipated a new research approach regarding earth sciences and
climatology, today known as “paleoclimatology.” Only in the 1930s would it
become part of the group of disciplines (such as meteorology, oceanography, geomorphology, geography, hydrology, botany, geology, archeology) currently involved
in the interdisciplinary studies about climate change:
Geology may perhaps teach us on this point where history speaks very obscurely, […], as
while on the one hand it shows us the remains of tropical animals in our regions, on the
other one it present us those of frozen regions, and it is very difficult to distinguish the
respective eras […]. But […] the climate of Italy has certainly changed even after the
appearance of man. But this alteration seems to have been made apparently for the better,
that is, turning into a higher and milder temperature. (Secchi 1866: 20-21)
9
7 Quando consideriamo l’enorme quantità di vapore che ora artificialmente si lancia nell’atmosfera,
e del combustibile che estratto dalle viscere della terra torna alla luce per restituire la forza viva
immagazzinata dal sole per secoli e secoli in quei depositi, non sarà difficile a persuadersi che nei
grandi centri di popolazione e d’industria la media temperatura e il grado di umidità non possono
restare invariabili. E infatti il sig. Glaisher ha trovato che la media temperatura di Londra è cresciuta
di circa 2° in questi ultimi 50 anni.
8 È certo che i ghiacciai delle Alpi erano ad epoche non remote molto più estesi che non sono attualmente, e qualunque sia la causa di questo fatto, esso non può [fare] a meno di non influire sul
clima della nostra zona italica, poiché i venti settentrionali ci arrivano dopo esser passati per quelle
gelide cime, e concepiranno temperatura proporzionale alla estensione gelata che devono
attraversare.
9 La geologia forse potrà istruirci su questo punto in cui la storia parla assai oscuramente, ma essa
finora è troppo incerta nei suoi dettati, giacché mentre da un lato ci mostra nelle nostre regioni
avanzi di animali tropicali, dall’altro ce ne mostra di quelli delle regioni gelate, e il distinguere le
L. Iafrate and M. C. Beltrano