ANTARCTIC CLIMATE. 83 
as low as 24°-1. These are the lowest summer temperatures we know 
of anywhere.* 
For the pressure at sea-level in high Southern latitudes the 
same observations give the following mean values : 
Latitude 60°-67° 65°-71° 70°-75° 75°-78° 8. 
Barometer 29°123 29°032 28°898 28° 969. 
Accordingly, the mean pressure here is as low as it is in the Northern 
Hemisphere in great depressions or during heavy storms. 
This very low barometrical pressure in the Southern Hemisphere 
is accompanied by strong and almost constantly stormy Westerly 
winds south of the parallel of 40°S. The whole Antarctic circum- 
polar area presents us, as already stated, with a vast cyclone, of which 
the centre is at the pole, while the Westerly winds circulate round it. 
The universal water-covering of high southern latitudes, which opposes 
no obstacle to the uniform development of this rotatory motion in the 
lower strata of the atmosphere, is the cause of this rapid reduction of 
pressure with increasing latitude. In the Northern Hemisphere the 
continents do oppose such obstacles, owing to the independent circu- 
lations of the atmosphere to which they give rise. 
The report of the voyage of the Antarctic in 1895 states: “ The 
barometer within the Antarctic circle stood at 29 inches with calm 
fine weather, and even at 28 inches the weather was still fine.” On 
the whole the weather in summer is generally reported as fine within 
the Antarctic circle, there is often a clear sky, a bright sun, a light 
wind, very little fog, but certainly frequent snow showers. The 
heavy stormy weather prevails outside the polar circle. The almost 
constant fog of the northern circumpolar area is nowhere to be found 
in the south. 
This appears to indicate that a barometrical maximum must exist 
over the snow-covered Antarctic continent, if such a region exists. 
In the highest southern latitudes the prevalent winds are Southerly 
and South-easterly. The surface currents also come from a Southerly 
direction ; the ice drifts towards the north-east. As long ago as in 
1872 Neumayer put the limit of the “brave West winds” at about 
62° 8. 
One, or still better, several winterings in high Southern latitudes 
* The observations given in ‘ Contributions to our Koowledge of the Meteorology of 
the Antarctic Regions’ show for December (/40~/42, 31 days), in 63°8., 32°°0; for 
January (/42 and /43, 62 days), in 65° 7'S., 30°°7; for February (/43, 28 days), in 
63° 5'S,, 30°°7); for March (/41 /42 and /45, 61 days), in 63° 6’ S., 30°-4. The later 
observations in the Antarctic give, according to Supan, for the beginning of summer, 
32° in 66° S. Ross appears to have had cold years. 
D 
