Storm glass: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Proposed meteorological instrument}} |
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[[File:Storm_Glass_General_View.jpg|thumb|upright|A FitzRoy storm glass]] |
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A '''storm glass''' is a type of [[weather forecasting]] device, composed of a sealed [[glass]] container filled with liquid. The appearance of the liquid purportedly predicts the weather, but modern experiments have failed to confirm this. |
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The '''storm glass''' or '''chemical weather glass''' was an instrument claimed to help predict weather. It consists of a special liquid placed inside a sealed transparent glass. The state of crystallization within the liquid was believed to be related to the weather. The inventor is unknown but the device became popular in the 1860s after being promoted by [[Royal Navy]] Admiral [[Robert FitzRoy]] who claimed that {{quote|if fixed, undisturbed, in free air, not exposed to radiation, fire, or sun, but in the ordinary light of a well-ventilated room or outer air, the chemical mixture in a so-called storm-glass varies in character with the direction of the wind, not its force, specially (though it may so vary in appearance only) from another cause, electrical tension.}} The compositions of the liquid in a storm glass varies but usually contains "camphor, nitrate of potassium and sal-ammoniac, dissolved by alcohol, with water and some air." These devices are now known to have little value in weather prediction, and tend to change visually based on the surrounding temperature,<ref>{{Cite web |title=How does storm glass work? |url=https://uphighdownbelow.com/how-does-storm-glass-work/ |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=Storm Glass |language=en-US}}</ref> however they do not react to pressure changes and continue to be a curiosity.<ref name="Tomlinson">{{cite journal |
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|title=An experimental examination of the so-called Storm-glass |
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|author=Tomlinson, Charles |author-link=Charles Tomlinson (scientist) |pages=93–109 |
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|url= https://archive.org/stream/s4philosophicalm26lond#page/93/mode/1up |
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|journal=[[The Philosophical Magazine]]|volume=26| year=1863 |
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}}</ref> |
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== Description == |
== Description == |
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The liquid within the glass is a mixture of several ingredients, most commonly [[distilled water]], [[ethanol]], [[potassium nitrate]], [[ammonium chloride]], and [[camphor]]. This specific mixture was |
The liquid within the glass is a mixture of several ingredients, most commonly [[distilled water]], [[ethanol]], [[potassium nitrate]], [[ammonium chloride]], and [[camphor]]. This specific mixture was promoted by Admiral [[Robert FitzRoy]] although similar devices existed even two decades earlier with variants in Italy, France and Germany.<ref name=history /><ref>{{cite journal |
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|doi=10.1002/j.1477-8696.1992.tb05785.x |
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|title=The Admiral's Storm Glass |
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|journal=Weather|volume=47|issue=3|pages=89|year=1992|last1=Bolton|first1=H.C.|last2=Rae|first2=I.D.|bibcode=1992Wthr...47...89B |
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}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |
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|doi=10.1002/j.1477-8696.1967.tb02956.x |
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|title=A Further Note on the Storm-Glass |
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|journal=Weather|volume=22|issue=10|pages=412–416|year=1967|last1=Sealey|first1=Antony F.|bibcode=1967Wthr...22..412S |
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}}</ref><ref name="McConnellCollins">{{cite journal |
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|doi=10.1179/174582306X93200 |
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|title=Will the True Originator of the Storm Glass Please Own Up |
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|journal=Ambix|volume=53|pages=67–75|year=2013|last1=McConnell|first1=Anita|last2=Collins|first2=Philip |
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|s2cid=170318913 |
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}}</ref> |
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FitzRoy carefully documented his claims on how the storm glass would predict the weather:<ref name=history >{{cite journal |
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|doi=10.1002/j.1477-8696.1965.tb02202.x |
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|title=Admiral Fitzroy and the Storm Glass |
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|journal=Weather|volume=20|issue=9|pages=270–271|year=1965|last1=Sutton|first1=Graham|bibcode=1965Wthr...20..270S |
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}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=October 2020}} |
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*If the liquid in the glass is clear, the weather will be bright and clear. |
*If the liquid in the glass is clear, the weather will be bright and clear. |
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*If the liquid is cloudy, the weather will be cloudy as well, perhaps with [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]]. |
*If the liquid is cloudy, the weather will be cloudy as well, perhaps with [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]]. |
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*If there are crystals at the bottom, this indicates [[frost]]. |
*If there are crystals at the bottom, this indicates [[frost]]. |
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*If there are threads near the top, it will be windy. |
*If there are threads near the top, it will be windy. |
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| ⚫ | A version of the device was available in the 18th century in France and the inventor is unknown.<ref name="McConnellCollins"/> In 1859, violent storms struck the British Isles. In response, the [[British Crown]] distributed storm glasses, then known as "FitzRoy's storm barometers," to many small fishing communities around the British Isles for consultation by ships in port before setting sail. |
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== Accuracy == |
== Accuracy == |
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In 1863, [[Charles Tomlinson (scientist)|Charles Tomlinson]] published an analysis in ''[[The Philosophical Magazine]]'' concluding that, while attractive, "I think it may fairly be concluded from these experiments and observations that the storm-glass acts as a crude kind of [[thermoscope]], inferior, for most of the purposes of observation, to the [[thermometer]]."<ref name="Tomlinson"/> In 2008 an article in the ''Journal of Crystal Growth'' similarly concluded that temperature change is the sole cause of crystal growth in storm glasses.<ref>{{cite journal |
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An article in the ''Journal of Crystal Growth'', whose conclusion was that temperature change is the sole cause of crystal growth in storm glasses.<ref>Tanaka, Yasuko et al. "Pattern formation of crystals in storm glass" Journal of Crystal Growth 310 (2008): 2668–2672.</ref> |
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| title = Pattern formation of crystals in storm glass |
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| first1 = Yasuko | last1 = Tanaka | first2 = Koichi | last2 = Hagano | first3 = Tomoyasu | last3 = Kuno | first4 = Kazushige | last4 = Nagashima |
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| journal = [[Journal of Crystal Growth]] | volume = 310 | issue = 10 |
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| date = 1 May 2008 |
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| orig-year = 1 February 2008 | pages = 2668–2672 | doi = 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2008.01.037 |bibcode = 2008JCrGr.310.2668T |
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}}</ref> |
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[[Cecil Adams]] performed informal experiments with a storm glass and found that the success of prediction was no better than random probability.<ref>[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2963/can-storm-glasses-predict-the-weather Can storm glasses predict the weather?] from ''[[The Straight Dope]]''</ref> |
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== References == |
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* 2.5 g potassium nitrate |
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* 2.5 g ammonium chloride |
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* 33 ml distilled water |
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* 40 ml ethanol |
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* 10 g camphor |
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Warm the water and dissolve the potassium nitrate and ammonium chloride; add the ethanol; add the camphor. Place in corked test tube. |
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==References== |
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{{Commonscat|Storm Glass}} |
{{Commonscat|Storm Glass}} |
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*[http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fhimiklab.org.ua%2Fstormglass.shtml Shtormglass: analysis of recipes, research] |
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*[http://www.stormglass.cz/?page_id=16 Contemporary design] |
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[[Category:Meteorological instrumentation and equipment]] |
[[Category:Meteorological instrumentation and equipment]] |
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Latest revision as of 10:17, 9 February 2024
The storm glass or chemical weather glass was an instrument claimed to help predict weather. It consists of a special liquid placed inside a sealed transparent glass. The state of crystallization within the liquid was believed to be related to the weather. The inventor is unknown but the device became popular in the 1860s after being promoted by Royal Navy Admiral Robert FitzRoy who claimed that
if fixed, undisturbed, in free air, not exposed to radiation, fire, or sun, but in the ordinary light of a well-ventilated room or outer air, the chemical mixture in a so-called storm-glass varies in character with the direction of the wind, not its force, specially (though it may so vary in appearance only) from another cause, electrical tension.
The compositions of the liquid in a storm glass varies but usually contains "camphor, nitrate of potassium and sal-ammoniac, dissolved by alcohol, with water and some air." These devices are now known to have little value in weather prediction, and tend to change visually based on the surrounding temperature,[1] however they do not react to pressure changes and continue to be a curiosity.[2]
Description
[edit]
The liquid within the glass is a mixture of several ingredients, most commonly distilled water, ethanol, potassium nitrate, ammonium chloride, and camphor. This specific mixture was promoted by Admiral Robert FitzRoy although similar devices existed even two decades earlier with variants in Italy, France and Germany.[3][4][5][6]
FitzRoy carefully documented his claims on how the storm glass would predict the weather:[3][failed verification]
- If the liquid in the glass is clear, the weather will be bright and clear.
- If the liquid is cloudy, the weather will be cloudy as well, perhaps with precipitation.
- If there are small dots in the liquid, humid or foggy weather can be expected.
- A cloudy glass with small stars indicates thunderstorms.
- If the liquid contains small stars on sunny winter days, then snow is coming.
- If there are large flakes throughout the liquid, it will be overcast in temperate seasons or snowy in the winter.
- If there are crystals at the bottom, this indicates frost.
- If there are threads near the top, it will be windy.
A version of the device was available in the 18th century in France and the inventor is unknown.[6] In 1859, violent storms struck the British Isles. In response, the British Crown distributed storm glasses, then known as "FitzRoy's storm barometers," to many small fishing communities around the British Isles for consultation by ships in port before setting sail.
Accuracy
[edit]In 1863, Charles Tomlinson published an analysis in The Philosophical Magazine concluding that, while attractive, "I think it may fairly be concluded from these experiments and observations that the storm-glass acts as a crude kind of thermoscope, inferior, for most of the purposes of observation, to the thermometer."[2] In 2008 an article in the Journal of Crystal Growth similarly concluded that temperature change is the sole cause of crystal growth in storm glasses.[7]
See also
[edit]- Tempest Prognosticator – an alternative to the storm glass that the British government investigated
References
[edit]- ^ "How does storm glass work?". Storm Glass. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ a b Tomlinson, Charles (1863). "An experimental examination of the so-called Storm-glass". The Philosophical Magazine. 26: 93–109.
- ^ a b Sutton, Graham (1965). "Admiral Fitzroy and the Storm Glass". Weather. 20 (9): 270–271. Bibcode:1965Wthr...20..270S. doi:10.1002/j.1477-8696.1965.tb02202.x.
- ^ Bolton, H.C.; Rae, I.D. (1992). "The Admiral's Storm Glass". Weather. 47 (3): 89. Bibcode:1992Wthr...47...89B. doi:10.1002/j.1477-8696.1992.tb05785.x.
- ^ Sealey, Antony F. (1967). "A Further Note on the Storm-Glass". Weather. 22 (10): 412–416. Bibcode:1967Wthr...22..412S. doi:10.1002/j.1477-8696.1967.tb02956.x.
- ^ a b McConnell, Anita; Collins, Philip (2013). "Will the True Originator of the Storm Glass Please Own Up". Ambix. 53: 67–75. doi:10.1179/174582306X93200. S2CID 170318913.
- ^ Tanaka, Yasuko; Hagano, Koichi; Kuno, Tomoyasu; Nagashima, Kazushige (1 May 2008) [1 February 2008]. "Pattern formation of crystals in storm glass". Journal of Crystal Growth. 310 (10): 2668–2672. Bibcode:2008JCrGr.310.2668T. doi:10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2008.01.037.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Storm Glass.