302 TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION A. 
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19. 
Discussion on Antarctic Meteorology. Opened by G. C. Stupson, D.Sc. 
1. A brief résumé was given of the general circulation in the atmosphere 
over the Southern Hemisphere as taught by : 
(a) the text-books. 
(b) Dr. Lockyer in his paper ‘Southern Hemisphere Surface Air Circulation.’ 
(c) Professor Meinardus in his discussion of the result of the ‘Gauss’ 
‘Antarctic Expedition. 
Dr. Lockyer suggests an intense anticyclone over the Antarctic Continent, 
from which cold air feeds into a series of large cyclones circulating the southern 
ocean and having their centres near to 60° S. The cyclones are supposed to be 
so large that while their southern extremities sweep over the edge of the 
Antarctic Continent their northern extremities reach to latitude 40° S., and so 
dominate the weather of Tasmania and New Zealand, and to some extent that 
of South Australia. 
Professor Meinardus’s scheme also includes a series of cyclones travelling 
from west to east over the southern ocean; but he gives strong reasons against 
the presence of an anticyclone over the southern continent. His chief objection 
to such an anticyclone is that anticyclonic conditions are accompanied by an 
excess of evaporation over precipitation; hence it would be impossible to account 
for the excess of precipitation which gives rise to the large glaciers and snow- ~ 
fields which discharge the known large quantities of ice. 
2. The simultaneous observations made at Cape Evans, Cape Adare, and 
Framheim were then considered to investigate the processes which are at work 
in the Ross Sea area. Diagrams showing the mean temperature distribution 
both horizontally and vertically were examined, and the curves of barometric 
pressure and wind at the different stations compared. The chief con- 
clusions of the investigation are as follows: The high south-easterly winds— 
commonly called blizzards—are not caused by cyclones passing into the 
Ross Sea, but are the result of the large differences of temperature 
which exist in the lower atmosphere over the Barrier and the Ross Sea. The 
cloud observations show that air feeds into the Antarctic at high levels, and 
passes north again in the blizzards. Meinardus’s objection that in such a 
circulation of air precipitation would not exceed the evaporation was shown 
not to hold, because of the great cooling of the air due to radiation. The air 
while sinking loses so much heat by radiation that, when forcibly made to rise 
in the blizzards, saturation is reached at a much lower level than that at which 
the air entered. Thus anticyclonic conditions are consistent with an excess of 
precipitation. 
3. The existence of a belt of cyclones between the Antarctic Continent and 
Australia was then considered. Curves on which barometer and wind obser- 
vations made at the ‘Gauss’ winter quarters are plotted were shown. From 
them it was seen that during the passage of deep waves of pressure there 
is practically no variation of the wind direction at that station. In most 
cases the wind blows a gale from the east both while the barometer falls rapidly 
and while it makes an equally rapid recovery. At present it appears quite impos- 
sible to reconcile the wind and barometer observations with any system of 
circulation of wind about a centre of low pressure moving from the west to the 
east. Further the simultaneous barometer observations at Melbourne, the Bluff 
(New Zealand), and Cape Adare were examined without finding any certain 
indication of the same cyclone affecting the northern and southern stations. 
4. The monthly departures from normal of pressure at Cape Evans were 
compared with corresponding values for stations in Australasia, and an important 
negative correlation was found. 
5. In conclusion the importance of a permanent meteorological station on 
the Antarctic Continent was urged. 
The following Report and Papers were then read :— 
1. Report of the Seismological Committee.—See Reports, p. 41. 
