Abstract
IT is always understood that the predicted heights of high and lowtidal water do not take into account the variations in the height of thesea due to wind and to air-pressure, and that the errors due to these causes may be of considerable magnitude. With the large ships that are nowin common use the margin between sea-bottom and ship-bottom is small, and since many of the largest ports in the world are situated in comparatively shallow water, navigation, both in channels and into dock, is carried on only with constant reference to the state of the tide. A particular example of the problem is that of loading a vessel in dock: how much cargo must be left on the quay-side so as to leave sufficient clearance for the vessel to get safely out of dock? The cargo so left has afterwards to be transported by lighter, with consequent increase of expense. If the tide is lower than was expected there is increased risk to the vessel, and if the tide is higher than was expected needless expense has been caused through leaving cargo to be transported by lighter. It is therefore obvious that a forecast of the effects of wind and air-pressure on sea-level and tides would be of very great advantage to navigators in and near a port, and for this reason much attention has recently been given to the subject.
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DOODSON, A. Meteorological Perturbations of Sea-Level. Nature 112, 765–766 (1923). https://doi.org/10.1038/112765a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/112765a0