V26 Bigelmv — 21ie Inversion of Tem/peratare Amplitudes 



atmospliere, is a subject of much perplexity. To illustrate the 

 point wo refer to iiij. 4. Draw the black body curves of 

 radiation for 7(i()0° T and for ()()(i()° T, by the Wicn-Planck 

 formula; lay down the curve of bolometer observations for a 

 high mountain, as Mt. Whitney (Abbot) or Mt. Wilson 

 (Abbot), in I, and for sea level, as Washington (Langley- 

 Abbot), II. Abbot reports that his recent liigh and low 

 altitude observations on the same day agree for the three 

 level observations at Washington, Mt. A¥ilson, Mt. Whitney 

 in producing a total amount of solar radiant energy ecjual to 



Fig. 4. 



^^ 



6 

 S 

 4- 

 3 

 2 

 1 

 



ML 



















































7000 



'T 









































r 



^ 









































1 



-T 



\ 





































/ 





'' 





\ 



































/ 



/ 



6000 



'T 



v^S 



\, 

































I ; 



'/ 











N 





























1 



'// 







M 



^ 



"S^ 





$J; 



























/■; 



/ 





y 









f 



rrr 





::> 



^ 



=v= 



=5^ 



. 



^^ 











W 0.1 0.2 0.3 0^ 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 iJ 1.2 l.3^/.4 1,5 1.6 1.7 1.8 l.9'^2.0ju\ 



Fig. 4.— Black body radiation at 7000° T and 6000° T. Observed radiation 

 on a bigh mountain (I) and at sea level (II). 



about 1"92 gram calories per cm^ per minute on the outermost 

 layer of the earth's atmosphere. The depletion of the incom- 

 ing radiation is chiefly by scattering, and it is progressive with 

 the depth, the density and the impurity of the atmosphere, as 

 determined by the dust, ice, and vapor contents, with the 

 atoms and molecules of the gases themselves. In a word, the 

 short waves are most heavil}^ depleted and that progressively 

 with the length of jjath, cutting off the apex of the pure 

 energy curve in an irregular manner, so that it is very difficult 

 to find the value of the maximum wave length from the obser- 

 vations, which we wish to introduce in the general formula, 



T . A„,ax = Constant, 



so as fully to determine the temperature of the radiating black 

 body, responsiljle for the energy reaching the earth on a given 

 date. Unless the crest of the radiation curve is found accu- 

 rately, it will not be possible to assign any definitive tempera- 

 ture to the solar envelope with enough precision to enter into 

 competition with the curves of fig. 2, in the forecast of weather 

 conditions. Furthermore, the evidence of the observations 

 seems to be at present, that the incoming radiation does not fit 



