| RefNo | MS/603/8/97 |
| Previous numbers | 1435 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from John Milne, Shide Hill House, Newport, I.W. [Isle of Wight], to [Joseph] Larmor |
| Creator | Milne; John (1850-1913); British geologist and seismologist |
| Recipient | Larmor; Sir Joseph (1857-1942); Irish theoretical physicist |
| Date | 6 March 1896 |
| Description | His enclosure is an illustration from the lecture that Foxwell told him about [not present]. It shows in duplicate from two spots of light, movements that take place with a 17 second period pendulum; in this case about 34 complete swings in one hour. The regular motions, which are termed 'pulsations' or 'earth breathings' do not seem connected with commonly observed meteorological phenomena. Kelvin and Perry speculated on them; Milne thinks they may be a natural pulsation of the Earth's surface due to relief of atmospheric load over an extended area. He will try to prove this by observation, meanwhile he asks Larmor if it is likely that the Earth's surface should have such a period. He gives some data on the rate of propagation of quasi-elastic gravitational waves, quoting a British Association report from George Darwin. He wonders what a period would be if a load was suddenly removed. |
| Extent | 4p. |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Ink on paper |
| AccessStatus | Open |