Meteorological Observations and Essays |
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Common terms and phrases
afcertained alfo altitude angle appear April arch Atill atmoſphere Auguft aurora borealis barometer beams becauſe cafe caufe cauſe circumftance clouds cold condenfed confequently confiderable cubic foot decreaſe denfity diftant diſtance earth's furface eaſt effay fame feems feen feveral fhall fhould firſt fituate fluid fmall fnow fome fouth ftill ftreamers fubject fuch fufficiently fummer fuppofed gage greateſt heat height higheſt horizontal hygrometer hypothefis inches inches of mercury increaſe interfection July June Kendal and Kefwick laft latitude leaſt lefs loweſt magnetic meridian magnetiſm mean ftate Mean high miles months moſt muſt needle north pole obfervations occafioned paft Philofophical pole preffure purpoſe quantity quickfilver rain rarefaction reaſon refpect refult rife ſeems ſeries ſeveral Skiddaw ſmall ſtate temperature thefe theodolite thermometer theſe thofe thoſe thunder torrid zone Tranfactions uſed vapour variation weft winds yards zenith
Popular passages
Page 89 - ... velocity eastward than the air, or surface of the earth over which it moves, and will therefore become a SW. wind, or a wind between the south and west.
Page 62 - This piece of sealing wax is about four inches long, half an inch broad, and a quarter of an inch in thickness. It is of a very bright red, and stamped with the name of the manufacturer. Its surface shines like glass, so that I suppose it is smooth, though I cannot be sure of this without touching it.
Page 128 - Every habitable latitude enjoys a mean heat of 60* for at least two months; this heat seems necessary for the production of corn. Within ten degrees of the poles, the temperatures differ very little, neither do they differ much within ten degrees of the equator; the temperatures of different years differ very little near the equator, but they differ more and more as the latitudes approach the poles.
Page 34 - THE rain-gauge is a vessel placed to receive the falling Rain, with a view to ascertain the exact quantity that falls upon a given horizontal surface at the place. A strong funnel, made of sheet iron, tinned and painted, with a perpendicular rim two or three inches high, fixed horizontally in a convenient frame, with a bottle under it to receive the rain, is all the instrument required.
Page 87 - The inequality of heat in the different climates and places, and the earth's rotation on its axis, appear to me the grand and chief causes of all winds, both regular and irregular ; in comparison with which all the rest are trifling and insignificant.
Page 112 - S. or SW. wind, and heavy rain ; the temperature of the air at the time was not high, being about 37°, but the reafon was no doubt becaufe one half of the ground was covered with fnow; it was therefore probably warmer above. —Now the reafon why the low extreme mould have at that time, as well as at many others, foon fucceeded the high extreme...
Page 128 - Between latitudes 35° and 60°, in :places adjacent to the fea, it generally thaws when the fun's altitude is 40°, and feldom begins to freeze, until the fun's meridian altitude is below 40°.
Page 90 - ... deflected more and more towards the eaft, on account of the earth's rotatory motion. -That from the northern hemifphere, originally a north wind, is made to veer more and more towards the eaft ; and, that from the...
Page 113 - Jan. 1789, followed the high extreme, is as follows. The extreme and long-continued cold preceding must have reduced the gross part of the atmosphere unusually low, and condensed an extraordinary quantity of dry air into the lower regions ; this air was succeeded by a warm and vapoury current coming from the torrid zone before the higher regions, the mutations of which in temperature and density are slow, had time to acquire the heat, quantity of matter, and elevation consequent to such a change...
Page 136 - ... that it may be determined a priori what weight of vapour a given bulk of dry air will admit of, for any temperature, provided the specific gravity of the vapour be given.