ON THE GENERAL CIRCULATION OF THE ATMOSPHERKE.* 
sy WERNER VON SIEMENS. 
Translated from the German, by GEORGE E, CurTIs. 
In an article in the May number of the Meteorologische Zeitschrift 
entitled “On the theories of the general circulation of the atmosphere, 
ete.,” Mr. A. Sprung has published a criticism of my computation of the 
direction and force of the general atmospheric current contained in my 
memoir, entitled “‘ On the conservation of energy in the earth’s atmos- 
phere,” presented tothe academy March 4, 1886. These criticisms induce 
me to make a brief reply, not, indeed, for the purpose of rebutting the 
objections of Dr. Sprung to the rigid validity of the results of my com- 
putation— objections with which in part I wholly agree—but to answer 
the assumption that I have made the attempt, in the same way as 
Ferrel, ‘“*to build up on theoretical computations a theory of the gen- 
eral circulation of the atmosphere.” Setting aside the fact that I do not 
consider myself to be sufficiently versed in mathematical analysis for 
such an attempt, I hold that this method is utterly inappropriate. A 
problem so extraordinarily complicated as that of the general cireula- 
tion of the air can not possibly be constructed backwards upon the 
basis of mathematical computations. There has been lacking up to the 
present time the simple fundamental law governing all the phenomena 
in action. In my considerations ‘“* Upon the conservation of energy in 
the earth’s atmosphere,” I have endeavored first to state the forces 
which produce, maintain, and retard atmospheric motions, and next T 
have sought to determine by computation the general motion of the air, 
both in direction and magnitude, produced by their interaction. With 
respect to this method, it is not correct to say that I, “in the same 
way as Ferrel before me, would show by computation an original con- 
dition of motion in the atmosphere,” in order to make it a basis for my 
further speculations. It is equally incorrect to say that in my compu- 
tations I have wholly neglected the retardation of the motion of the air 
by friction. 
The meridional air current, very aptly called by Sprung the funda- 
mental circulation (Grundcirculation), upon which my, theory of the 
* From the Sitzungsberichte der Kénigl. Préuss. Acad, der Wiss. zu Berlin. 
179 
