CHATS WITH THE ^TTATFER MA^I . RELEASE Friday, .April 3, 1931. 



AMTOUNCE?£E!-TT ; And now for our chat 'vith the weather man. Every two weeks, 

 you know, our old friend Ob. Server, tells us something about the work of 

 the weather specialists of the United States Weather Bureau and the ever- 



facinating subject, the weather Well, see what it is now Go ahead, 



Mr. Ob, Server 



Well, let's talk about the beautiful flowers and trees down near the 

 South Pole. 



Or rather, let's talk about what talces the place of flowers and trees 

 in the Polar regions. 



I guess most of us picture the Antarctic as one vast stretch of cold, 

 barren ice terrible in its awful sameness. And so it might seem, but for 

 the gorgeous colors, and queer circles, and bars, and streamers, and other 

 optical wonders which blossom in the Antarctic sky. 



Llr. William C. Haines, of the United States Weather Bureau, who was 

 meterologist with the Byrd Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, says it w?s a 

 pity they didn't take a great artist along to paint the Polar scenery -vith 

 the brilliant sky coloring which so often relieves the monotony of snow and 

 ice which covers the landscape. Photography can not catch the coloring, and 

 the ordinary' camera does not have wide-enough Icnso to take in the curious 

 patterns of light formed around the sun and moon under certain weather con- 

 ditions. 



According to Mr, Haines, the very coldness of the Antarctic plays a 

 big part in producing those gorgeous flowers which do so much to make life 

 end'urable for those who go to the ends of the earth for science sake. 



The tiny ice particles in the frigid air of the Antarctic often brcaJc 

 up the sun light and moon li^t in such a nay as cause r.iany different types 

 of rings. 



Sometimes, trere will be a pillar of light apparently rising from the 

 sun and branching out at the top. More often there will be a circle or halo 

 around the sun or .-.-loon. Occasionally, there v/ill be a cross, or even a 

 cross within a circle and another bigger circle around that. Sometimes these 

 geometric fi:^res in the air will be still more complicated and on the rims 

 of the circle, -vill be segments of other circles, with streaks of light 

 cnlled sun-dogs on goord on each side of the sun. 



Mr. Hsines soys these curious designs appear most often when there 

 are hi^ fleecy clouds in layers in the sky, with sunlight striking the frost 

 particles in the air. 



