282 



METEOROLOGY IN RUSSIA. 



Barnaul, in West Siberia, has tlie greatest range of temperature, nt 

 least from November to May. In the winter Xertscliinsk has a rel- 

 atively small range; it is the constant winter of Eastern Siberia; in Jan- 

 uary the range is even smaller than at St. Petersburg. The maxima 

 are clearly seen in IS'ertschinsk in March and November, while January 

 and July have the least range. The temperature sometimes may fall as 

 low in Western Siberia as in the eastern part of that country, only in 

 the latter the cold is constant, and the thermometer never rises above 

 the freezing-point from the first days of November to the middle of 

 March. The following table gives the absolute maxima and minima of 

 the winter months in the same period ; to which I have added those of 

 Jakutsk for ten years, 1845-1854:, from observations taken thrice a day 



The absolute range is less in January in Eastern Siberia than in any 

 other of the given points, while it surpasses 100° at Barnaul. At this 

 last point od'^.o were observed on the Ith of December, 1800, and — 07.0 

 on the IGtli of the same month, being a difference of 103.5c> in twelve 

 days. These enormous variations of temperature have also been ob- 

 served in the valley of the Jeuissei — for example at Krasnojarsk, oo.l on 

 i'8th of November, 1840, and — 51.2 on the 30th, being 84.3 difference 

 in 40 hours. In Eastern Siberia these enormous changes are unknown 

 in mid-winter. 



The pressure of the air has received much less attention in Russia 

 than the temperature, and this can be said of the observations, as well as 

 of their calculation and tabulation. We do not possess as >et good 

 barometrical tables, although we may hope to have them, as Lieutenant 

 IiiJcatscJuf and Baron MaydcU, both of the physical observatory, are occu- 

 pied with the reduction and discussion of all the barometrical observa- 

 tions which they could obtain in Eussia. The largest collection of 

 barometrical means for Russia is that in Buchan's work on " Mean 

 l)ressure and winds." 



The great summer depression of the barometer is strongly marked in 

 Southern and Central Russia, and is perceptible even larther to the 

 wed.t. It probably attains its greatest amount on the plateau of Cen- 

 tral Asia, from Eastern Turkestan to the 'Gobi, but we have not a single 

 year of contiuued barometrical observation in this widely-extended 

 country. The greatest amount of the summer depression known to us 



