572 E. HUNTINGTOX— SOLAK HYPOTHESIS OF CLIMATIC CHANGES 



crest may move twice as much. Between the two the mmiber of storms 

 decreases until there comes to be an area where storminess is slight. 



The glacial storm helts of Europe. — In Europe the double character 

 of the storm belt at the present time is much more evident than in 

 America, as may be seen in figure 4. The effect of changes in the belts 

 in accordance with changes in the number of sun-spots, however, is by 

 no means so clear as in America, but will probably become so when we 

 have figures for the last two sun-spot cycles. Meanwhile we can merely 

 point out certain features which appear in figure 12 and whose main 

 outlines may possibly be permanent characteristics when sun-spots are 

 numerous. It must be remembered, however, that we here have only a 

 single sun-spot maximum compared with two minima, and that the fig- 

 ures are not so reliable as in America. If we had more abundant data 

 many of the minor features would probably disappear. In general the 

 maps indicate that during times of many sun-spots there is a deficiency 

 of storms over the Icelandic region and also in Finland, but this latter 

 is of doubtful importance. A belt of increased storminess extends from 

 Scotland up to Scandinavia, down into Germany and eastward. With 

 more abundant data this would probably spread out so as to cover all of 

 Scandinavia. In England we find a belt of deficiency which extends 

 eastward into northern France, and from there down the Danube Valley 

 and into Austria. In figure 10 this area goes directly across the Alps to 

 the head of the Adriatic Sea. In figure 11 it goes north of the Alps and 

 is much enlarged in Hungary, whence it continues east to the Crimea. 

 What appears to be the same as the Crimean area is apparent on a much 

 reduced scale in the other map, where we have a decline in the rate of 

 increase northeast of the Crimea, but not actually a deficiency. Just 

 what would happen if the conditions illustrated in the European maps 

 should become much intensified it is as yet hard to say, but presumably 

 there would be a stormy area in the northwest and north, an area of de- 

 ficiency in the west and center, and again an area of excess in the south- 

 ieast. The essential point is that both in America and in Europe we have 

 evidence that real changes are in progress in harmony with the sun-spot 

 cycles, and that if these should become intensified the distribution of 

 storms w^ould apparently correspond with what presumably occurred dur- 

 ing the Glacial period. 



The effect of the glacml storm belts on temperature and precipiia- 

 tion. — So much for the location of storms according to the cyclonic hy- 

 pothesis. N'ow for the distribution of temperature. With high sun-spot 

 frequency the temperature of the torrid zone appears to diminish. This 



