GEOPHYSICAL RECORDS, 1922. 



1^- I'nKi' \. ( ■\Kn;,\Ti;u. Sc.l)., ] A .. I). 



All inteiTsIiiiR ri;itini' in tin' sindx ol' statistical meteorology and 

 physiography is the rullcction <il iiconl hrcaldiig figures. As a mat- 

 ter of gcnci'iil infonnnt ion. ;i lew liiii's of autlicnlic data, concerning 

 the eai'tli iind i(s ;il inosplnTi- have heeii prepared. 



The conipilaliiMi wliich foHows is mainly devoted to the meteoro- 

 logical features sucli as temperature, rainfall, wind, sunlight, fog, etc., 

 but other related phenomena — the penetration of the upper air 

 strata by balloon soundings and in otlier artificial flight — as well as 

 recent determinations of physical depressions and elevations, obser- 

 vations of sea-waves, etc. are also included. To students of geogra- 

 phy especially will this group be found of more than ordinary in- 

 terest. To Californians it will be particularly noteworthy to observe 

 the place this state holds in having recorded the highest temperature 

 ever registered on the earth's surface (134° in Death Valley) also as 

 making the highest sounding-balloon altitude (20.4 miles at Catalina 

 Island) above the earth's surface. California has the record of the 

 greatest depth of snow ever having fallen in the United States 

 (amounting to 73.5 feet in one- year) and the greatest depth (37 

 feet) of measured snow on the ground at one time. Also the greatest 

 elevation in the United States (not including Alaska) : that of Mt. 

 Whitney with 14,501 feet above sea level, as well as the greatest de- 

 pression (over 300 feet below sea level). 



TEMPERATURES (Degrees Fahrenheit) 



(NOTE: References, such as "E," etc. are explained at end of 

 article.) 



Highest natural air temperature ever* recorded on the earth's sur- 

 face was 134" on July 10, 1913, at Greenland Ranch, Death Valley, 

 California (E). 



Lowest air temperature ever recorded was 90.4° below zero on 

 Jan. 15, 1SS5, at Verchoyansk, Siberia (A). The lowest temperature 

 ever recorded in the United States was 68° below zero on Jan. 12, 

 1916, at Saco, Montana (Ej. The mean temperature at Verchoyansk, 

 Siberia for the month of January, 1885 was 64° below zero, and dur- 

 ing December of the same year the maximum temperature for the 

 month was 33° below zero (I). A temperature of 456° below zero 

 has been obtained by cooling liquid helium; this is a temperature 

 approximately within 3° of "absolute zero." (H) 



Diurnal variations in temperature — The temperature has risen 

 over 50° in 24 hours at many places in the United States; at Florence, 



35 



