NOV 1 6 2000 n 



PREFACE 



The rapid development of .the science of meteorology during the past two 

 decades has made necessary a complete revision of both the scope and con- 

 tents of the Smithsonian Meteorological Tables. A. Wetmore, Secretary of 

 the Smithsonian Institution, which has been publishing these tables since 

 1852, and F. W. Reichelderfer, Chief of the Weather Bureau, recognized 

 this need. A steering committee of Weather Bureau meteorologists, con- 

 sisting of H. Wexler, Chairman, R. A. Allen, J. E. Caskey, Jr., P. F. Clapp, 

 R. N. Culnan, R. D. Fletcher, J. R. Fulks, C. Harmantas, L. P. Harrison, 

 W. C. Jacobs, J. K. McGuire, J. Namias, and H. W. Norton, was formed to 

 make recommendations concerning the new revision and to serve in an 

 advisory capacity. Funds for the preparation of the manuscript were trans- 

 ferred by the Weather Bureau to the Smithsonian Institution, and under the 

 supervision of L. B. Aldrich, Director of the Astrophysical Observatory, 

 work on the new manuscript was started. It is a pleasure to acknowledge 

 both the administrative cooperation and scientific information received from 

 Mr. Aldrich. 



In preparing this volume, every effort has been made to obtain the latest 

 and most authoritative data available, and to follow as far as possible the 

 most recent recommendations of the International Meteorological Organiza- 

 tion. Suggestions were also solicited from the various branches of the armed 

 forces concerned with meteorological problems, from the several universities 

 having meteorology departments, and from other interested individuals and 

 organizations. Explanations, sources of data, methods of computation, and 

 pertinent references accompany all tables. No material on meteorological 

 codes and symbols, descriptions of meteorological stations, or climatological 

 data have been included in this revision. 



It would be impossible to acknowledge all the cooperation and assistance 

 received in the preparation of this volume. A particularly large debt of 

 gratitude is owed to L. P. Harrison, Chief of the Technical Investigations 

 Section of the Weather Bureau, who has unhesitatingly given so much of 

 his time and attention to this project, and without whose mature judgment 

 it would have been impossible to complete this work in its present form. 

 Grateful acknowledgments are also due to J. A. Goff and S. Gratch of the 

 Towne Scientific School of the University of Pennsylvania for contributing 

 all the material for tables 84-92 and for furnishing the computations for 

 table 72 ; to S. Fritz of the Weather Bureau for his assistance in preparing 

 the section on radiation ; to W. D. Lambert and J. A. Duerksen of the Coast 

 and Geodetic Survey for information concerning gravity and other geodetic 



