PAPER BY PROF. OBERBECK. 189 



are there given in detail. In that memoir the pressures were not ex- 

 plained ; this is done in the present treatise. I have arrived thus at 

 the result that the distribution of pressure just described finds its ex- 

 planation completely in the currents of the atmosphere, and that from 

 the observed values of the pressure a conclusion can be drawn as to 

 the intensity of the atmospheric currents.* 



ii. 



In conformity with the notation of my first memoir the temperature 

 of the atmosphere will be expressed by 



T = T + T x . 



where T depends only upon r, the distance of the point in question 

 from the center of the earth, while 2\ is a function of r and of 0, the 

 polar distance. 



Let the pressure at the given poiut be 



p=p (L+v) 



In this expression p also depends only upon r, while v is a function of 

 r and 6. So far as tbe observations of atmospheric pressure show, vc\\\\ 

 be considered as a small numerical quantity in comparison with unity. 

 For determining p the following equation holds good: 



c 2 log p = constant +GR 2 ( y. + « I r l dr ) 



from which the diminution of pressure as a function of the altitude 

 above the earth's surface can be computed wheu the law of the diminu- 

 tion of temperature with the altitude, that is to say, the value of T as a 

 function of r is known. 

 Let us further put 



v=v t) +v l +v 2 +v z 



in which 



GR 2 aT x 



r = 



r 



while vi, v 2 , v 3 shall indicate the values determined in the previous me- 

 moir (pages 1<S0 and 181). 



The first two terms of this summation v -\-^i give those changes in 

 pressure which result directly from the differences of temperature on 

 the earth's surface; that is to say, without considering the rotation of 

 the earth. 



If the temperature diminishes uniformly on both hemispheres from 

 the equator toward the poles; or, in other words, if the temperature 



* [Ferrel had published similar conclusions in 1859 but Oberbeck's independent con- 

 firmation is none the less valuable. — C. A.] 



