The Brückner-Egeson-Lockyer cycle is a climatic cycle of approximately 30-40 years. Originally described by Charles Egeson on the basis of periodic flooding events in southern Australia that correlated with sunspot activity. It was supported by William J.S. Lockyer and later by

Eduard Brückner Eduard Brückner (29 July 1862 – 20 May 1927) was a geographer, glaciologist and climatologist. Biography He was born in Jena, the son of the Baltic-German historian Alexander Brückner and Lucie Schiele. After an education at the Karlsruhe ...

. The initials "BEL" or paratridecadal cycles have since been suggested to explain various other long-term cycles including those affecting economics, human physiology, and historical events. The Bulletin 1890

Charles Egeson (who possibly also went by the name of John Joseph George) first suggested 33 year cycles in Australian weather in 1889. Egeson was an assistant to

Henry Chamberlain Russell Henry Chamberlain Russell (17 March 1836 – 22 February 1907) was an Australian astronomer and meteorologist. Early life Russell was born at West Maitland, New South Wales, the fourth son of the Hon. Bourn Russell and his wife Jane, ''née' ...

in the Sydney Observatory. When Russell was away in Europe, he began to publish forecasts based on his cycles in the newspapers. The forecast of a drought caused considerable public alarm and led to his dismissal from the Sydney Observatory in 1890. In 1893, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Charles Egeson in a case of cheating. A news report in 1903 recorded his death in a lunatic asylum. Egeson's 1889 publication was shortly followed in 1890 by Eduard Brückner's who suggested 33 to 35 year cycles. William J. S. Lockyer, son of Sir

Norman Lockyer Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer (17 May 1836 – 16 August 1920) was an English scientist and astronomer. Along with the French scientist Pierre Janssen, he is credited with discovering the gas helium. Lockyer also is remembered for being the fo ...

, associated these cycles with that of sunspot activity. Similar cycles were also noted before Egeson as in the case of 35-year cycles of

Perseid meteors The Perseids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift–Tuttle that are usually visible from mid-July to late-August. The meteors are called the Perseids because they appear from the general direction of the constellation P ...

noted by

Rudolf Wolf Johann Rudolf Wolf (7 July 1816 – 6 December 1893) was a Swiss astronomer and mathematician best known for his research on sunspots. Wolf was born in Fällanden, near Zurich. He studied at the universities of Zurich, Vienna, and Berlin. Encke ...

in 1877, sunspot and weather associations by

Giovanni Battista Riccioli Giovanni Battista Riccioli (17 April 1598 – 25 June 1671) was an Italian astronomer and a Catholic priest in the Jesuit order. He is known, among other things, for his experiments with pendulums and with falling bodies, for his discussion of ...

(1651) and 30+ year cycles noted by

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England under King James I. Bacon argued for the importance of nat ...

although Egeson was the first to collate numerous datasets to support the view. Egeson himself noted ancient traditional beliefs in 30 year cycles from Ceylon. Brückner described 35 year cycles of cool-damp and warm-dry weather periods, an observation that had also been made by Sir Francis Bacon. Other datasets that have been suggested as following the BEL cycle including geomagnetism, military events, economics, and heart rates.

References

{{reflist Periodic phenomena

See also

References