president's address. 23 



T am doubtful whether we can attribute to changed currents a reduction 

 in British temperatures of so much as 11°; but, if we did, this would 

 amount to 28° from all causes, and give a temperature of 20° to 22° 

 at sea-level in England during the coldest part of the Glacial Epoch. 1 

 That is now found, roughly speaking, in Spitsbergen, which, since its 

 mountains rise to much the same height, should give us a general idea 

 of the condition of Britain in the olden time. 



What would then be the state of Scandinavia? Tts present tempera- 

 ture ranges on the west coast from about 45° in the south to 35° in 

 the north. 2 But this region must now be very much, possibly 

 1,800 feet, lower than it was in pre-glacial, perhaps also in part of 

 glacial, times. 3 If we added 5° for this to the original 15°, and 

 allowed so much as 18° for the diversion of the warm current, the 

 temperature of Scandinavia would range from 7° to —3°, approximately 

 that of Greenland northwards from Upernivik. But since the differ- 

 ence at the present day between Cape Farewell and Christiania (the 

 one in an abnormally cold region, the other in one correspondingly 

 warm) is only 7°, that allowance seems much too large, while without 

 it Scandinavia would correspond in temperature with some part of that 

 country from south of Upernivik to north of Frederikshaab. 4 But if 

 Christiania were not colder than Jakobshavn is now, or Britain than 

 Spitsbergen, we are precluded from comparisons with the coasts of 

 Baffin Bay or Victoria Land. 



Thus the ice-sheet from Scandinavia would probably be much greater 

 than those generated in Britain. It would, however, find an obstacle to 

 progress westwards, which cannot be ignored. If the bed of the North 

 Sea became dry land, owing to a general rise of 600 feet, that would 

 still be separated from Norway by a deep channel, extending from the 

 Christiania Fjord round the coast northward. Even then this would 

 be everywhere more than another 600 feet deep, and almost as wide 

 as the Strait of Dover. 5 The ice must cross this and afterwards be 

 forced for more than 300 miles up a slope, which, though gentle, would 

 be in vertical height at least 600 feet. The task, if accomplished by 



1 The present temperature in Ireland over the zone (from S. of Belfast to N. 

 of Galway Bay) which is supposed to have formed the divide of the central snowfield 

 may be given as from 49° to 50°, nearly the same as at the sea-level in Carnarvon- 

 shire. Thus, though the district is less mountainous than Wales, it would not need 

 a greater reduction, for the snowfall would probably be rather larger. But this 

 reduction could hardly be less than 20°, for the glaciers would have to form nearly at the 

 present sea-level. 



9 _ It is 44°.42 at Bergen, 38°.48 at Bodo, 35°.42 at Hammerfest, 41°.36 at Chris- 

 tiania and Stockholm. 



8 For particulars see Geol. Mag., 1899, p. 97 (W. H. Hudleston) and p. 282 (T. G. 

 Bonney). 



* Christiania and Cape Farewell (Greenland) are nearly on the same latitude. 



5 For details see Geol. Mag., 1899, pp. 97 and 282. 



