The Coriolis Effect Further Described in the Seventeenth Century

TL;DR

This paper explores the historical descriptions of the Coriolis effect in the 17th century, focusing on Dechales's work which argued against Earth's rotation despite describing the deflection phenomena.

Contribution

It uncovers and analyzes early descriptions of the Coriolis effect, highlighting their context and the misconception that deflections were not observed at the time.

Findings

Dechales described the deflection of falling bodies and projectiles due to Earth's rotation.

His work was used as an argument against Earth's rotation.

Historical descriptions predate modern understanding of the Coriolis effect.

Abstract

Claude Francis Milliet Dechales described the Coriolis effect in his 1674 Cursus seu Mundus Mathematicus. Dechales discussed and illustrated the deflection of both falling bodies and of projectiles launched toward the poles that should occur on a rotating Earth. Interestingly, this was done as an argument against the Earth's rotation, the deflections not having been observed at the time. Dechales's work follows on that of Giovanni Battista Riccioli, who had also described the effect in his Almagestum Novum of 1651.