304 RESULTS OF THE METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS TAKEN DURING 



NOTE ON THE METEOROLOCtY OF THE 

 WEDDELL SEA. 



I HAD the iutentioii of coucluding this report with a paper on the general meteorology 

 of the Weddell Sea and contiguous areas from the meridian to 100° W., but 

 found that to do so would unduly delay the publication of this memoir. It may 

 not be out of place, however, to present a few generalisations deduced from an examina- 

 tion of the existing material, which includes reports of the meteorological results of the 

 Belgian, French and Swedish expeditions, as well as data obtained from the summer 

 expeditions of Eoss and others, including the German expedition to South Georgia in 

 the year 1882-1883. 



The most important factor at work in the area under consideration is the Antarctic 

 drift, which carries ice and numerous icebergs into the South Atlantic to low latitudes. 

 With regard to the limits of ice in winter we know little, except that owing to the 

 freezing up of the Antarctic Ocean a continental climate prevails at all places south of 

 60° S. on the meridian of 45° W., while on the meridian of Greenwich the continental 

 area probably extends as far as 55° S. The region in proximity to the unfrozen sea is 

 the theatre of cyclonic activity, and great variations of temperature and weather 

 prevail, according as the depressions pass to the north or south of the station. 

 Here is an area of much cloud, strong winds, and considerable precipitation. We 

 need merely mention in this connection the remarkable contrast between the winters 

 of 1903 and 1904 at the South Orkneys. In 1903 there was open sea in close 

 proximity to these islands, and the resultmg weather was tempestuous, relatively mild, 

 cloudy and variable to a degree ; but in 1904 the pack extended some 200 miles to the 

 north, and the weather was quite cold and in general clear, with a high barometer. 



Looking at the annual means of the climatic elements given in the reports of the 

 various expeditions, and making the bai'ometric observations strictly comparable by 

 applying the correction for standard gravity at latitude 45°, it was found that the 

 isobars for the year given by Buchan in his " Challenger " Report were in close agree- 

 ment with the observed facts for the region he discussed, which extends to 60° S. 

 From the observations made on the "Belgica" between the latitudes of 69° 50' and 

 71° 30' S., and longitudes from 87° to 95° W., and those made by Charcot in latitude 

 65° S. longitude 64° W., there is reason to believe that pressure is higher to the west 

 of Graham's Land south of 65° S. than in the same parallels to the east of it, which 

 seems to indicate that Graham's Land, Alexander Land, and undiscovered land suggested 

 by the shallow water in the vicinity of the " Belgica's " drift, are part of the Antarctic 



