XII. Researches on the tides.—fifth series. On the solar inequality and on the diurnal inequality of the tides at Liverpool

Abstract

Sect. 1. Present State of the subject . 1. The great success with which recent researches on the Tides have been attended, has encouraged me to attempt some further advances in this subject. The laws of the semimenstrual inequality of the times were shown by Mr. Lubbock, from the London observations, to agree very closely with the equilibrium-theory: and this result has been confirmed by the examination of observations made at many other places. I have shown, from the Liverpool observations, that the semimenstrual inequality of the heights presents a still more complete agreement with the equilibrium-theory; and by the help of Mr. Lubbock’s discussions of the London and of the Liverpool observations, I have shown, in the Second and Fourth Series of these Researches, that the inequalities depending on the changes of lunar parallax and declination may be very well represented by the equilibrium-theory, with certain modifications, which are far from inconsistent with the best mechanical views we can at present form of the laws of the motion of fluids. The most obvious points which now remain requiring still to be made out and explained, are the diurnal inequality, and the solar inequalities of the time and height of high water.