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Glass weather indicator12/31/2023 ![]() The glass is shaped somewhat like a sealed teapot - a rounded globe or cylinder with a long spout starting near the base of the main body and extending upward. How Does the Goethe Storm Glass Work?Ī Goethe storm glass is a type of water barometer, which uses a glass bulb filled with colored water to show changes in atmospheric air pressure. Its modern iteration is attributable to the German statesman, scientist, and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who built on work by Evangelista Torricelli - a 17th-century student and contemporary of Galileo - to create his own version of a water barometer. The Goethe barometer is generally believed to be the oldest type of barometer in the world, with examples dating back thousands of years. It’s filled with colored water, which reacts to changes in barometric pressure in the atmosphere outside the glass. Unlike the closed Fitzroy glass, the Goethe storm glass - also called a Cape Cod storm glass, thunder glass, or water barometer - is a glass container with a narrow spout that’s open to the air. ![]() Since Fitzroy’s time, weather scientists have repeatedly tried to gauge the accuracy of the storm glass and found that, at best, its predictions are accurate about 50% of the time. Large flakes: Overcast on warm days, snow in winter Small dots in the liquid: Fog or high humidity These storm glasses generally come with a chart based on Fitzroy’s original observations:Ĭloudy liquid: Cloudy skies, chance of rain How To Predict Weather With a Fitzroy Storm Glass While scientists aren’t certain exactly what influences the formation of crystals - and the shape they take - most have concluded that temperature changes seem to be the most important. The patterns can range from cloudy liquid to intricate crystals resembling snowflakes, stars, spirals, and threads. As the weather changes, the chemicals in the glass crystallize in various patterns that are said to predict the weather. There are a number of different recipes for making the solution, but most include camphor, ammonium nitrate, and sodium nitrate. The Fitzroy storm glass is a closed glass container, often shaped like a raindrop, holding a supersaturated mixture of alcohol, water, and various chemicals. Under his command, the British crown distributed storm glasses to small fishing communities throughout the British Isles. Fitzroy was also hugely influential in the history of meteorology, spearheading efforts to collect weather data and make it more accessible to fishermen and others who relied on it. ![]() He famously captained the HMS Beagle that carried Charles Darwin on his voyage of exploration. While no one is sure exactly who invented the Fitzroy storm glass, it was popularized by Admiral Robert Fitzroy. Here’s a quick look at both devices and how they work. ![]() There are two very different historical meteorological devices that share the name “storm glass” or “weather glass.” Both became popular at about the same time - the late 1700s - and both were widely used to predict changes in weather using liquid in a glass container. What is a storm glass, and what makes it work? Perhaps most importantly, does a storm glass accurately predict the weather? Here’s what we know. Storm glasses are among those early inventions that still hold a fascination for modern weather watchers. Some of the best-known names in history have dabbled in the science of weather forecasting - Leonardo da Vinci invented an early anemometer and hygrometer, for example, and Galileo created an accurate and beautiful thermometer. Throughout history, scientists have been inventing devices to help predict the weather. ![]()
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