Friedrich Heinrich Alexander, Baron von Humboldt, (September 14, 1769, Berlin–May 6, 1859, Berlin), was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister, philosopher, and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt.
At Callao, Humboldt observed the transit of Mercury on November 9, and studied the fertilizing properties of guano, the introduction of which into Europe was mainly due to his writings.
Humboldt may justly be regarded as having in this memorable expedition laid the foundation in their larger bearings of the sciences of physical geography and meteorology.
The HumboldtCurrent (or Peru Current) is a cold ocean current that flows northward off the west coast of South America.
This current originates in the Southern Ocean near the Antarctic, and is thus about 7-8 C° cooler than the ocean at similar latitudes.
During an El Niño, the HumboldtCurrent is replaced by warm, low nutrient water, causing a rapid decline in the normally large fish populations and a subsequent decline in seabird populations, as well as rainfall in the normally dry coastal areas and droughts in the normally wet mountain areas further inland.
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