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Outlines of a Mechanical Theory of Storms

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Storm prediction becomes a question of planetary motion in Thomas Bassnett's account of weather and its causes. Published in 1854, this scientific treatise proposes a mechanical explanation of atmospheric disturbances built around lunar influence, moving ether and vortices. Bassnett sets out to help navigators estimate changes in wind and weather for particular days and places at sea, while challenging the scientific authorities whose responses he recounts in his preface.

The discussion reaches beyond storms to terrestrial magnetism, auroras, solar spots and comets. In a discussion of the compass needle, Bassnett develops his explanation of its changes through supposed currents around the Earth. Readers interested in the history of scientific argument will find an author's attempt to connect many natural phenomena within one system, together with his account of seeking a hearing from learned institutions.