Use Of The Barometer In Estimating The Height Of Tides
The pressure of the atmosphere affects the height of the tide, the water being in general higher as the barometer is lower. The expressions of seamen, that “frost nips the tide,” and “fog nips the tide,” are explained by the high barometer which usually accompanies frost and fog. M. Daussy, Sir J. C. Ross, and others, have established that a rise of one inch in the barometer will have a corresponding fall in the tide of about one foot. Therefore navigators and pilots will appreciate the following suggestion of Admiral FitzRoy:—
“Vessels sometimes enter docks, or even harbours, where they have scarcely a foot of water more than their draught; and as docking, as well as launching large ships, requires a close calculation of height of water, the state of the barometer becomes of additional importance on such occasions.”