On some points connected with terrestrial magnetism

On some points connected with terrestrial magnetism

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ABSTRACT THE remarks in NATURE, vol. xxii. p. 169, of Messrs. De La Rue and Müller in connection with their most interesting and important researches on rarefied gases induce me to ask the privilege of stating somewhat more fully than I did on June 17 what I conceive to be the position filled by a working hypothesis such as that then mentioned in the science of terrestrial magnetism. Let me begin with the aurora. Here we have a phenomenon which invariably accompanies magnetic storms, on which occasions it occurs simultaneously over a large portion of the globe. Again the recent researches of the above-named gentlemen render it very probable that auroral displays do not occur at a very great height, while it is conceivable that they may occur at times at an altitude of a few thousand feet. Here then we have a phenomenon which is intimately connected with sudden changes of the earth's magnetism. To this we may add earth currents as another phenomenon of the same kind, so that we have earth currents and auroral displays invariably associated with magnetic storms, when these are of marked violence. Now what is the nature of this connection? When we examine the formal laws of these associated phenomena we find that these lead us (almost irresistibly, as I think) to conclude that earth currents and aurorae are secondary discharges caused by sudden changes in the earth's magnetism, no matter how these changes are produced. So strong is the evidence of _form_ in this instance that the late eminent magnetician John Allan Broun expressed to me his belief that earth currents and aurorae were connected with magnetic storms in the way above mentioned. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online access $199.00 per year only $3.90 per issue Learn more Buy this article * Purchase on SpringerLink * Instant access to full article PDF Buy now Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support Authors * BALFOUR STEWART View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE STEWART, B. _On Some Points Connected with Terrestrial Magnetism_ . _Nature_ 22, 202–203 (1880). https://doi.org/10.1038/022202a0 Download citation * Issue Date: 01 July 1880 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/022202a0 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

ABSTRACT THE remarks in NATURE, vol. xxii. p. 169, of Messrs. De La Rue and Müller in connection with their most interesting and important researches on rarefied gases induce me to ask the


privilege of stating somewhat more fully than I did on June 17 what I conceive to be the position filled by a working hypothesis such as that then mentioned in the science of terrestrial


magnetism. Let me begin with the aurora. Here we have a phenomenon which invariably accompanies magnetic storms, on which occasions it occurs simultaneously over a large portion of the


globe. Again the recent researches of the above-named gentlemen render it very probable that auroral displays do not occur at a very great height, while it is conceivable that they may occur


at times at an altitude of a few thousand feet. Here then we have a phenomenon which is intimately connected with sudden changes of the earth's magnetism. To this we may add earth


currents as another phenomenon of the same kind, so that we have earth currents and auroral displays invariably associated with magnetic storms, when these are of marked violence. Now what


is the nature of this connection? When we examine the formal laws of these associated phenomena we find that these lead us (almost irresistibly, as I think) to conclude that earth currents


and aurorae are secondary discharges caused by sudden changes in the earth's magnetism, no matter how these changes are produced. So strong is the evidence of _form_ in this instance


that the late eminent magnetician John Allan Broun expressed to me his belief that earth currents and aurorae were connected with magnetic storms in the way above mentioned. Access through


your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Subscribe to this journal Receive 51


print issues and online access $199.00 per year only $3.90 per issue Learn more Buy this article * Purchase on SpringerLink * Instant access to full article PDF Buy now Prices may be subject


to local taxes which are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support Authors *


BALFOUR STEWART View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE


STEWART, B. _On Some Points Connected with Terrestrial Magnetism_ . _Nature_ 22, 202–203 (1880). https://doi.org/10.1038/022202a0 Download citation * Issue Date: 01 July 1880 * DOI:


https://doi.org/10.1038/022202a0 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently


available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative