Unpublished paper, 'On certain irregularities in the magnetic needle produced by partial warmth, and the relations which appear to subsist between terrestrial magnetism and the geological structure, and thermo-electrical currents of the earth' by Robert Were Fox

Description

Fox describes experiments on the impact of partial heat on the magnetic needle, discovering that there are no irregularities when the needle is completely surrounded by heat (i.e. water of a uniform temperature), but that when partial heat is applied, there are irregularities. He also describes theories about thermoelectrical currents beneath the earth's surface and experiments on the thermoelectricity of rocks, discussing the efficacy of different rocks as conductors and whether or not they have a positive or negative charge.

John George Children's initials appear below the date received and the date ordered not to be printed. Marginalia and corrections appear throughout in graphite and ink.

Subject: Geodesy

Communicated by Davies Gilbert. Received by the Royal Society on 14 March 1832. Read 3 and 10 May 1832. Ordered not to be printed 28 June 1832.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 3 of Abstracts of the Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London [later Proceedings of the Royal Society] as 'On certain irregularities in the magnetic needle, produced by partial warmth, and the relations which appear to subsist between terrestrial magnetism and the geological structure and thermo-electrical currents of the earth'.

Reference number

AP/15/20

Earliest possible date

1832

Physical description

Ink on paper

Page extent

20 pages

Format

Manuscript