Which long-term consequence affected 18th-century Royal Navy ships relying on early chronometers experiencing thermal fluctuations on transatlantic voyages?

💡 Explanation

When thermal fluctuations occur, the chronometer's balance spring's elasticity changes because of thermal expansion, affecting its oscillation rate and timekeeping accuracy, leading navigational errors to accumulate over extended voyages. Therefore, systematic westward longitude overestimation results, rather than eastward underestimation or compass/barometer errors which stem from unrelated mechanisms.

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