Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-01-25
Something about the Winds.

Among natural phenomena there are
none, perhaps. moro interesting than the
winds. whether regarded in particular
or general point ofview. So much Of ouI
material wcll-being depends on them,
and their manifestations are so various,
that we need not feel surprised d. their
having been more or less studied by the
poet, peasant, and philosopher. In the
equatorial and tropical regions they ex
hibit themselves as hurricanes and mon
soons, or trade winds, blowing in one
fixed direction for several months to.
gethcr, o, as the mu,able land and sea
breezes, making the temperature agree
able to the dwellers in the ,orrid zone.
In the temperate latitudes, on the con.
trary. they are ever varying, bringing
that constantly.recurring change which
seems so favorable to the development
Of the best forms Of human energy.
Most persons arc familiar with the
theory by which the laws and movements
Of atmospheric currents are explained:
i, is simply the difference Of density Of
the air. When VIC consider how much
of ,he globe is land, and how much more
water. what vast spaces are desert, or
swamp, or forest, or snow and ice. or
cleared and cultivated, we shall at once
see that from surface so diversified,
the difference of radiation must be great;
and as difference Of radiation causes
difference Of density, VIC thus find an
operation Of cause and effect on the
largest scale. A familiar illustration
on a small scale may ne found on open.
ing the door OF heated room-a warm
current flowing out at the top, and cold
one flowing inward at the bottom.
Apart from physical conformation
there is difference in the temperature
alone Of the equatorial and polar regi.
ons Of 80 degrees, fact which may give
US some idea Of the compensation re.
quired to effect an equilibrium. In our
annual revolution round the sun. and
the apparent passage OF the great lumi
nary from the tropic Of Capricorn to
Cancer, the cir Of the intervening space
is much more heated than beyond those
limits, and following the natural law in
such cases, this heated air rises; the con.
sequence is partial vacuum, which is
Immediately filled up by rush Of cold
air from the poles, and thus circula.
tion is established. The heated air which
hos risen finding its way TO the poles,
there descends as it cools, and gradual.
ly. in this way, serves to form part Of the
polar current, from which it had previ
ously been supplied, and is a direc,
north wind in the northern hemisphere,
and the reverse in the southern, and
would continue permanently SO, but fo'
the rotation Of tho earth. While III.
current is coming down from the north
the globo is spinning round from west te
east. and drags the superincumbent air
with it. but the rotary movement, which
is scarcely pcreep,ible at the poles, be
comes more raPid in descending toward
the equator, ana the wind does not q,
once take on This increased speed; the
earth moves fasler than the air; and thu.
,be north xihd'in our hemisphere be-
comes 1 postheast wind, and in the op.
.posits Asmisphsre. the soath becomes a
southssst wind, The earth. 50 to speak
leaves ~ Aisd bshind; hence tho istter
.pesssr n n " l current coming in the
~ y t q