Changes in the weather can happen in the blink of an eye. Often, air pressure, or the amount of air that pushes down to the earth’s surface, influences the weather in a particular place. For example, if air pressure rises, the higher the chances that you’ll experience a sunny day. But if air pressure falls, it can mean that rain is expected to fall.
How can you tell whether or not air pressure rises? Thanks to the barometer, scientists and weather forecasters can calculate air pressure and predict if the weather is going to be fair and dry or windy and stormy.
But air pressure changes all the time. And, air pressure varies from one location to another. This happens because the Earth continues to spin on its axis and move around the sun. If your job is to keep track of changes in air pressure, you’ll have to look at the barometer at regular intervals, check for changes, and note them down.
French physicist Lucien Vidi solved this problem by creating a barograph barometer that uses multiple aneroid cells to monitor changes in barometric pressure.
What is a Barograph Barometer?
As the name suggests, an antique barograph barometer is a type of antique barometer that automatically records changes in atmospheric pressure. There are different types of barograph barometers, but the most common one is the aneroid barograph.
The main parts of an aneroid barograph barometer are:
- A set of aneroid cells that measures the air pressure. It shrinks when air pressure increases and expands when air pressure decreases.
- Levers and a pivot point that connects and transfers the movement of the aneroid cell to the recording arm.
- A recording pen at the tip of the arm that moves up and down when air pressure changes
- A rotating drum that sits on a clockwork mechanism that typically runs on a seven-day cycle. However, some barographs can be set to complete a revolution in one day, week, or month.
- An ink trace or barogram that displays the record of changes in barometric pressure.
What are the Uses of a Barograph Barometer?
A barograph barometer is an essential tool in the field of weather services because it provides a continuous recording of air pressure and helps make weather forecasting more accurate.
This scientific weather tool is helpful in various businesses as well, but it is most useful in the maritime industry. Sailors or seafarers use barographs on vessels such as yachts, cruise ships, and navy ships to keep a detailed record of barometric pressure changes. Barographs continuously keep track of changes in air pressure, even ones that occur during the night when there is no one to keep watch. With access to detailed and accurate data, they can plan their course of action and avoid going through areas where poor weather is expected.
Predict Weather the Way Experts Do It
Barograph barometers were a convenient meteorological tool in the centuries past. If you are looking for an antique barograph, you can choose from the collection of antique barometers and barographs in our shop.