The Philosophy of the Weather. And a Guide to Its ChangesButler, T. B. (Thomas Belden)
Science
The Philosophy of the Weather. And a Guide to Its Changes
Butler, T. B. (Thomas Belden)
Weather; Weather forecasting
I have said, that toward the areas of greatest magnetic intensity, the
needle every where declines. So as intensity increases, from the magnetic
equator toward the poles, the needle, when so suspended as to permit of
the motion, _dips_, inclines downward, and the dip is greatest, on the
same parallel, where intensity is greatest. To my mind, the magnetic
elements are very intelligible. They are all attributable to attraction,
and attraction is greatest where intensity is greatest. There is nothing
in the earth or atmosphere to make the needle point northerly rather than
in any other direction, except magnetic intensity. Thus, the greater
intensity of magnetism near the northern and southern points of the globe,
attracts the corresponding ends of the needle in those directions. And, as
magnetism increases in quantity or intensity, and the poles are
approached, the attraction increases, and the needle dips more and more,
till the focus of intensity and attraction is reached, and then it becomes
perpendicular. So magnetism is unequally diffused, meridionally, in or
over the earth, and there are two equidistant areas where its quantity or
intensity is greatest. These exert a lateral attraction upon the needle;
it yields to this attraction, and hence its declination. If it is carried
on to one area of intensity, and to the center of it, it will point to the
northern focus of intensity or magnetic pole; and, if carried a trifle
further west, it will yield to an eastern attraction, and point directly
north. If carried still further west, its declination _east_ will
increase. Thus its normal direction is to the pole, on the central focus
of intensity, and when it points directly north it is west of the central
line of intensity. And thus, it seems to me, all the magnetic elements may
be resolved into the one element of attraction by excess of intensity or
activity.
This impression is strengthened by the fact that the needle moves to the
east in the morning, when the solar rays increase magnetic activity in
that direction, and west again, as their influence increases there.
Now, these elements--the declination and horizontal and vertical
forces--all these periodical, regular, and irregular variations of
magnetic activity, are intimately connected with the variations of
atmospheric condition:
First, They show an increase of activity during certain hours of the day,
corresponding to, and obviously connected with, the diurnal atmospheric
changes.
Second, They show an increase of activity during the northern transit of
the atmospheric machinery--an _annual_ variation.
Third, They show an increase in that activity during the latter portion of
each decennial period, conforming to the occurrence of solar spots.
And, fourth, _Irregular variations_ of activity, corresponding with the
_irregular changes_ of atmospheric condition.
We will examine these results, and in doing so, take those of the element
of declination--one answering for all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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