570 
GEOPHYSICS: C. F. MARVIN 
Proc. N. a. S. 
Meteorology of the Oceans. — ^While the mass of data available for land 
and continental areas is very great, the details of information available 
from the larger expanses of ocean areas are correspondingly meager a nd 
inadequate. Owing to the uniformity of conditions over the ocean areas, 
as well as their tremendous extent, we should expect the sequence of at- 
mospheric phenomena to be more simple and easy of investigation. The 
collection of more complete data from ocean areas and its intimate analysis 
and discussion are, therefore, most important. 
Aerology. — The term aerology has come recently to be applied to the 
meteorology of the free atmosphere in contrast to observational data 
dealing specifically with surface conditions. The appliances and agencies 
for conducting observations in the free air have been improved, multi- 
plied and made highly practical, and the attainment of practical naviga- 
tion of the air has not only added to the observational possibilities but 
has imposed new and important obligations on the meteorologist to make 
applications of his science to the aid of aerial navigation. Free air ob- 
servations over the oceans especially are greatly desired, although very 
difficult to secure. The whole field of investigations in the free air is 
relatively only recently occupied and appears to be fruitful of the most 
important developments. The organization of systematic studies of 
upper air observations to be carried on concurrently with the making of 
the observations is at once among the foremost problems awaiting con- 
sideration. 
WORLD METEOROLOGY 
The development of the so-called world meteorology as typified by the 
collection, summarization, and publication of simultaneous weather reports 
from all civilized countries has been the goal of meteorologists for many 
years. The desires of a number of international meteorological confer- 
ences in pre-war days are being realized by the publication the "Reseau 
Mondial" by the Meteorological Office of England. The "Reseau 
Mondial," however, provides only for monthly summaries of pressure 
and temperature. 
In 1914 the Weather Bureau began publication of a daily chart of pres- 
sure and temperature of the Northern Hemisphere from telegraphic and 
cable reports. The machinery for the collection of the data was put out 
of commission during the war and has not yet been restored. 
In considering the resumption of this undertaking it may be viewed 
from a totally different angle than formerly, viz., is it not possible by 
sacrificing the time element to prepare a daily pressure and temperature 
map of the Northern Hemisphere — say 30 to 90 days after the current 
dates have elapsed, such maps to serve for study purposes only and to 
be reproduced in a small edition? 
Closely coupled with the above proposition is the need already men- 
tioned of more frequent meteorological observations over the oceans, 
