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Dave Weilacher asked-

>A retired US Navy Commander friend who was reponsible for navigation
>aboard ship on one of his assignments is of the opinion that the horizon
>is always suspect near shore.  The argument is that the differences in
>temperature between land and sea screws up the horizon that you see.
>
>Could this account for the discrepancy between every ones expectations and
>his measured results?

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Dave makes a fair point, but as I see it, it would apply only to
observations where a significant fraction of the length of the sight-path
to the horizon is over the land (or sandy shore, or drying reefs,
whatever). Otherwise, the surface temperature, even in shallow water, would
not differ all that much from the open sea, except in some very-odd
environments.

Certainly, observations made from a beach should be made from reasonably
close to the waterline, not from hundreds of yards back.

As Henry pointed out, it's the horizon that causes most of the inaccuracy
in altitude measurements. "Bugaboo" was the word he used; I hope I have its
meaning right...

George.



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