The tide keeps its course
-- James Howell, English author (c. 1594-1666)
By Bob Berman
In the past century, an "air tide," or shifting of the atmosphere, has been recognized and studied. Since 1918, it has actually been measured in the Northern Hemisphere. Although this Moon-linked barometric variation is small -- just 1/1,000 inch of mercury -- its effects are not. (Barometric pressure is measured as inches of mercury. When the weather forecaster says the barometer is 29.95 inches, he or she is talking about how many inches of mercury could be supported by the current pressure of the atmosphere.) Statistical studies show that more cloudiness, rainfall, and storms are generated during some lunar phases (such as the full Moon) than others.
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