THE HEIGHT OF THE ANTARCTIC CONTINENT. 



301 



old values ane shown, and in the last line the average heights of surface within the Antarctic 

 Circle calculated from them by Meinardus's formula have been entered : — 



Table 155. 



change. 



This review of the meteorological data on which Meinardus has based his calculation of 

 the average height of the Antarctic Continent has shown that by making assumptions which 

 have as much probability as those of Meinardus, the resulting height can be very much 

 changed. My own opinion is that considering the vast extent of the continent and the few 

 observations, none of which have been taken under true continental conditions, but only on 

 the sea • coast, it is quite hopeless to get even an approximate solution of the problem. 

 For this reason I have been careful in the above discussion not to claim that my values 

 are nearer the truth than those of Meinardus, I have simply claimed that they are at least 

 as probable as his, and have contented myself by pointing out that the alternative data alter 

 Meinardus's result so much that the accuracy he has claimed is far too great. 



Conclusions. 



(a) If it is true that the average pressure over the Antarctic must be 11 mm. higher in 

 January than in .July in order to keep the mass of air over the whole globe the same in 

 these two months, then it is probable that qualitatively Meinardus has given the correct 

 explanation. 



(b) The method used, however, to calculate the height of the land is open to serious 

 objection, being based as it is on the assumption that the pressure over the surface of a 

 great continent can be determined by the pressure at the boundary. 



(c) Further the meteorological data used are far from being certain. By using other data 

 which at least are as probable as those of Meinardus, the mean height is reduced from 1,350 

 metres to 852 metres. But in view of conclusion (6), both these estimates may be far from 

 the truth. 



