Tuesday, April 2, 2013

CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON

There is much snarling over the temperature record, because thermometer and radiometer data is subject to instrumental variation and persnickity interpretation. But ever since the first notch was carved on a leg of Canute's throne, tide gauges have presented fewer opportunities for disputation-  it's hard to argue with a yardstick bolted to a sea wall.

The Atlantic coast of the US is well endowed with the things, and its tides have been duly recorded since the days of Ben Franklin if not before. Put the last century of data together and the sea level record hereabouts duly compensated for post-glacial isostasy, as published in

looks like this:
Hat tip to Eli Rabbet for NCCL ref-
Readers are invited to choose which item of sports equipment this uncontroversial curve most resembles:

    A:  A curling stone
 B:  A baseball bat
     C:  A tennis racquet
D:  A polo mallet
  E:  A hockey stick