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Which scientific measurement skills did Alexander von Humboldt learn before his South American expedition?
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Alexander von Humboldt
Alexander von Humboldt, oil on canvas by Julius Schrader, 1859; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
Before embarking on his South American expedition, Alexander von Humboldt dedicated himself to acquiring a thorough knowledge of three specific scientific measurement systems:
- Geodetic measurements
- Meteorological measurements
- Geomagnetic measurements
He committed to learning these skills with great single-mindedness in 1797, after resigning from his government post to focus entirely on his goal of scientific exploration.1