Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 1: Containing a collection of some of the principal phaenomena in nature, accounted for by the greatest philosophers of this age
History
Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 1: Containing a collection of some of the principal phaenomena in nature, accounted for by the greatest philosophers of this age
Natural history; Science -- Early works to 1800; Voyages and travels -- Early works to 1800
3. _Why upon very great Winds or Storms, tho' accompanied with no Rain,
the _Mercury_ sinks lowest of all, with relation to the Point of the
Compass upon which the Wind blows?_ This is caus'd by the very rapid
Motion of the Air in these Storms; for the Tract or Region of the Earths
Surface, wherein these Winds rage, not extending all round the Globe,
that stagnant Air which is left behind, as likewise that on the sides,
cannot come in so fast as to supply the Evacuation made by so swift a
Current; so that the Air must necessarily be attenuated, when and where
the said Winds continue to blow, and that more or less, according to
their Violence; add to which, that the _Horizontal_ Motion of the Air
being so quick as it is, may in all probability take off some part of
the perpendicular pressure thereof; and the great Agitation of its
Particles, is the Reason why the Vapours are dissipated, and do not
condense into Drops, so as to form Rain, otherwise the natural
Consequence of the Airs Rarifaction.
4. _Why _cæteris paribus_ the _Mercury_ stands highest upon an Easterly
or North-Easterly Wind?_ This happens because that in the great
_Atlantick Ocean_, on this side the thirty fifth Degree of North
Latitude, the Westerly and South-Westerly Trade-Winds blow almost
always; so that whenever here the Wind comes up at East and North-East,
'tis sure to be checked by a contrary Gale, as soon as it reaches the
Ocean; wherefore, according to what is made out in our second Remark,
the Air must needs be heaped over this Island; and consequently the
_Mercury_ must stand high, as often as these Winds blow. This holds true
in this Country, but is not a general Rule for others, where the Winds
are under different Circumstances; and I have sometimes seen the
_Mercury_ here as low as twenty nine Inches, upon an Easterly Wind, but
then it blows exceeding hard, and so comes to be accounted for by what
was observ'd upon the third Remark.
5. _Why in calm Weather the _Mercury_ generally stands high?_ The cause
hereof is, as I conceive, that it seldom freezes but when the Winds come
out of the Northern and North-Eastern Quarters, or at least unless those
Winds blow at no great distance off; for the Northern Parts of
_Germany_, _Denmark_, _Sweden_, _Norway_, and all that Tract from whence
North-Eastern Winds come, are subject to almost continual Frost all the
Winter; and thereby the lower Air is very much condens'd, and in that
State is brought hitherwards by these Winds, and being accumulated by
the opposition of the Westerly Wind blowing in the Ocean, the _Mercury_
must needs be prest to a more than ordinary height, and as a concurring
Cause, the shrinking of the lower parts of the Air into lesser room by
cold, must needs cause a descent of the upper parts of the Atmosphere,
to reduce the Cavity made by this contraction to an _Æquilibrium_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account