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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIII. No. 841 



versa, but had not recognized the significance 

 of ozone in the sequence of events. The re- 

 vival of scientific interest in ozone dates from 

 1904, when the late Professor Angstrom 

 showed that a large amount of it existed in 

 the upper atmosphere. As much may be 

 gained from a further study, the chief of the 

 Weather Bureau has urged the International 

 Meteorological Committee to investigate the 

 problem. 



The latest publication of the English Solar 

 Physics Committee, " Southern Hemisphere 

 Surface-air Circulation," was prepared by Dr. 

 WiUiam J. S. Loekyer, secretary of the Solar 

 Commission of the International Meteorolog- 

 ical Committee. The work consists of a study 

 of the mean monthly pressure amplitudes, the 

 tracks of the cyclones and anticyclones and 

 the meteorological records of several Antarctic 

 expeditions. In an earlier memoir Dr. Loek- 

 yer pointed out the apparent similarity of the 

 air movements over Australia, South Africa 

 and South America, and suggested that anti- 

 cyclones which crossed Australia were indica- 

 tions of a continuous state of things occurring 

 in a belt encircling the earth. In the present 

 memoir he shows the presence of such a belt 

 in which movement is from west to east. The 

 survey, which is an extensive one, doubtless 

 wiU aid in the attempt to associate solar ac- 

 tivity with the air movements of the southern 

 hemisphere. Moreover, it also suggests that 

 greater importance, from this point of view, 

 must be attached to the meteorology of the 

 polar regions than has hitherto been the case. 



From a study of simultaneous records made 

 at Corona, Colo., altitude 11,660 feet, and 

 Denver, Colo., altitude 5,347 feet, distant in 

 an air line about 38 miles. Professor A. J. 

 Henry arrives at conclusions which briefly 

 stated are as follows : (1) In general the tem- 

 perature changes at high and low level sta- 

 tions are nearly synchronous, in point of time, 

 and similarly directed. (2) Any abnormal 

 course of the temperature between a mountain 

 station and a near-by low-level station can 

 generally be explained by considering the 

 pressure distribution over the surrounding 

 regions to a distance of at least 1,000 miles 



from the station. (3) An inversion of tem- 

 perature between Corona and Denver occurs 

 most frequently when the latter is under the 

 influence of a Montana anticyclone while the 

 former is ailected by a cyclone to the west. 

 (4) The high southwest and west winds occa- 

 sionally observed on Pikes Peak and Corona 

 indicate the early formation of a cyclone to 

 the northwest or north. (5) In winter, moun- 

 tain temperatures fall whenever a cyclone 

 passes eastward across the mountains, or 

 southeastward from Montana to Kansas. (6) 

 The temporary presence of an anticyclone in 

 the Great Basin affects the winds upon the 

 mountains of central Colorado, giving high 

 temperatures and fair weather. (Y) The latter 

 mountains cause a slight lowering of the pres- 

 sure in an anticyclone as it passes over them. 

 According to the Bulletin of the Mount 

 Weather Observatory issued by the Weather 

 Bureau October 31, 1910, during the three 

 years in which regular free-air observations 

 have been made the kite flights over 5,000 

 meters above sea-level number 31. Of these, 

 thi-ee are over 7,000 meters, while in six of 

 the flights the kites flew at a greater altitude 

 above sea-level than has been attained else- 

 where. The flight of 6,440 meters made April 

 5, 1910, at the Eoyal Aeronautical Observa- 

 tory, Lindenberg, Germany, is the seventh 

 highest above sea-level. In the opinion of 

 Dr. William H. Blair, who has charge of the 

 aerial work, the kite-flying apparatus has usu- 

 ally been the limiting factor at Mount 

 Weather, and as this is gradually being im- 

 proved, he expects that the kites will attain 

 still greater heights. The upper air data are 

 not only used by the forecasters in the central 

 office in Washington, but it is hoped that when 

 interpreted they will add to our knowledge of 

 the atmosphere as a whole. Owing to the 

 nearness of the ocean sounding balloons are 

 not liberated on Mount Weather, but they 

 have been sent up periodically from Indian- 

 apolis, Ind., Fort Omaha, Neb., and Huron, 

 S. D. As these experiments have resulted in 

 the acquirement of very desirable data, it is 

 probable that they will be continued and per- 

 haps extended during the present year. 



