626 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



8. Temperatures of the Polar Regions. 



The Climatologische Beitrage (Dove 1857) contains a dis- 

 cussion of the temperatures of the Polar Regions with especial 

 reference to the existence and position of Poles of cold. 



The north of Asia is warmer in summer than the regions to 

 the north of America, and the changes of temperature through 

 the year are very much greater, being quite as low or lower in 

 winter than any place where temperatures are observed in the 

 Polar regions, and very much higher in summer. The Asiatic 

 summer is entirely absent from the G-reenland seas, and in 

 summer these seas have the character of a sea climate. 



Thus comparing Ustjansk, Jakutsk, and Van Rensselaer for 

 the four seasons we get : — 





Ustjansk. 



Jakutsk. 



Van Rensselaer 





Harbour. 



Winter - 



Spring - - - 



Summer 



Autumn 



-35-95 F. 

 -0-62 

 46*78 

 1-02 



-36-69 F. 

 14-83 

 58-39 

 12-27 



-29-56 F. 

 -11-47 

 32-99 



-4-83 



showing the difference in character, as well as the greater 

 differences at an inland station than on the coast of Siberia. 



Comparing the means of the same month of the year at various 

 places in the American Polar Sea, we find the places of greatest 

 cold for the several months of the year as follows : — 



January, Northumberland Sound - —40-00 



February, Disaster Bay - - - —40-24 



March, Van Rensselaer - - - —38-09 



April, „ - - - -14-00 



May, Disaster Bay . - - 9-34 



June, Winter Island _ - - 23*17 



July, „ _ _ - 35*36 



August, Port Bowen - - - 29*72 



September, Van Rensselaer - - 9-81 



October, „ - - —10-54 



November, „ - - —23-03 



December, Northumberland Sound - —35-51 



As these values are obtained in different years, no allowance 

 can be made for mild or severe seasons, and therefore the table 

 formed on so few observations may be somewhat misleading. 



We shall probably get a closer approximation to the region of 

 greatest cold, if we compare observations made at several places 

 during the same season. 



If we take the winter of 1852-53 we get the greatest cold at — 

 Mercy Bay in October - - - — 5'6 



Melville Island in November - - —20-1 



Northumberland Sound in December - —35-51 

 Mercy Bay in January - - - — 43*87 



Melville Island in February - - —40-8 



in March - - - -31*7 



Northumberland Sound in April- - — 8*60 



