Best Marine Barometers

The marine barometer is a tool for measuring atmospheric pressure and predicting weather systems at sea. Traditionally, marine barometers have been made of mercury. Mercury rises or falls depending on air pressure and temperature, and when contained in a barometric chamber, it can accurately predict weather changes and upcoming storms. While mercury barometers are still popular, they are increasingly being replaced by aneroid barometers and digital barometers. These types of barometers have the same prognostic goals as traditional mercury barometers, but are trying to achieve them through the use of newer technology. 

Accurate weather forecasts were especially important to the sailors and seamen of commercial cruise ships in ancient times. Knowing that a squall is coming could allow the crew to change course or overcome gaps before they are surprised by rough seas, strong winds and high waves. However, carrying glass mercury tubes on board a vessel is not necessarily the safest option. The tubes are fragile, the seas are often rough, and loose mercury can have very negative health effects. The marine barometer was developed commercially to provide seafarers with a convenient and portable way of predicting atmospheric changes at sea.

While mercury barometers are often considered the most accurate, with the advance technology, other models have followed. One common alternative marine mercury barometer is a copper alloy barometer known as an aneroid barometer. The aneroid barometer consists of a small metal cell with a spring. The cell is surrounded by a metal alloy of copper and beryllium. As the air pressure outside the cell changes, the spring inside the cell expands and contracts, and these movements also cause the dial to move on the barometer face. Aneroid barometers often have clock-like faces, with a single dial indicating different measurements and weather conditions. Aneroid barometers have become popular mercury alternatives for marine applications as well as home use.

The 20th century saw another development of the barometer with the introduction of a digital or electronic marine barometer. Digital barometers work by translating electronic readings of air pressure and temperature changes into weather forecasts. Most digital barometers take humidity, air pressure, temperature, and wind speed into account when taking readings. Some digital barometers rival the accuracy of mercury barometers. Most modern ship captains rely on a lot of digital technologies to predict changes in the weather at sea, and the digital maritime barometer is usually one of the favorite tools. 

The marine barometer usually works in conjunction with other marine weather indicators, including marine thermometers and marine anemometers. Marine thermometers measure the temperature of the water, which can alert captains to many things, from impending storms to approaching shallow waters. The marine anemometer measures the speed and direction of the wind.