KEPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE WEATHER BUREATT. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Central Office of the Weather Bureau, 



Washington, D. 0., August 31, 191'b. 

 Sir: T have the honor to submit a report of the operations of the 

 Weather Bureau during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1912. 



Willis L. Moore, 

 Chief of Weather Bureau. 

 Hon. Jasies Wilson, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



MOUNT WEATHER RESEARCH OBSERVATORY. 



investigation and research. 



In\tssttgation of the upper atiniosphere. — Aerial investigations 

 carried on at the Mount AVeather Research Observatory have now 

 resulted in the completion of a series of practically continuous atmos- 

 pheric soundings extending over the last five years. The data thus 

 afforded are in course of summarization and will be in suitable form 

 for further study at an early date. 



At the beginning of the kite work in the Weather Bureau, about 

 14 years ago, it was our expectation to be able to obtain data from 

 which to construct a synoptic chart of the meteorological conditions 

 prevailing in the free air some distance above the earth for a given 

 date. This plan failed, through the impossibility of getting the kites 

 into the air at all stations on the same dates. 



In connection with the kite and captive balloon work at Mount 

 Weather we have had in mind to explore as fully as might be done 

 the layers of air next to the earth's surface, the data so procured to 

 serve primarily to increase our knowledge of the processes that are 

 continually going on in the free air, and, secondarily, as a probable 

 aid in weather forecasting. 



It seemed improbable at that time that the results of free-air 

 observations from a single station could have a very wide application 

 in making general forecasts. However, the experiment had never 

 been tried, and the establishment of the Mount Weather Observatory 

 made it feasible and desirable that the effort be made. The station 

 was accordingly e(iuipped with the best of modern appliances for kite 

 flying, and a force of men was assembled which soon became quite 

 skilled in the details of the work. This combination of personal skill 

 and thorough equipment resulted in obtaining at Mount Weather the 



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