The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-10
The Gulf Sfream-Recent Investiga.
tfons and New Theories,

The study of the phenomena of the Gulf
stream has lately been undertaken with
great earnestness by two competent OBJ
serrers-Dr. Petermann, the German geo.
grapher, and Mr.. James Croll, Scottish
geologist. DR.. Petermann claims to have
been the first to show that the Gulf stream
is a deep, slow-moving, and permanent
warm current from Newfoundland, not
only to the coast of France and the parallel
of As deg. of north lat.-to which limits most
of the former photographers had confined
it-but to the British Isles, Scandinavia,
Iceland, towards Greenland, Bear Island,
Jan Mayen, and the west coast of Spitz-
bergen to Novaia Zemlia and the Polar
Basin, passing the northmost capes of Sibe-
ria as the "Polynia" of Wrangell, its in
fluence being felt even as far as Cape Jukon,
near Behring Strait. This view he still
maintains, supporting it by the vast number
of observations which he has collected !;
but his opinions are challenged by several
distinguished photographers.
MIR. Crou now comes forward with some
new suggestions, founded upon recent OBJ
servations. In series Of papers on "Ocean
Currents" published in the Philosophical
Magazine, he answers two questions-viz.: !:
"What end and purpose does the Gulf
Stream serve?" and "What influence has
it upon the condition of the globe?" He
shows, by chain of evidence which is ap-
parently trustworthy, that the current of
the Gulf Stream carries rs much heat from
the tropics as is received by the globe with
in sixty-three miles on each side of the
equator, an amount which probably equals
the entire quantity of heat received by the
whole Arctic regions from the rays OF the
sun. Mr.. Croll estimates that the stoppage
of the Gulf Stream would deprive the At
lantic ocean OF quantity Of warmth equal
to one-fourth of all the heat received from
the sun by that area; that If all currents
ceased to flow, and each place were depend
ent upon the direct rays of the sun alone
for its heat, the equator would be 55 deg.
warmer than at present, the poles SO deg.
colder. The mean temperature of the lati-
tude of London would be only 10 deg.
London, therefore, its presen actual mean
temperature being so deg, is benfited to the
extent of 40 deg. of heat by the Gulf Stream.
Mr.. Keith Johnston, Jr., in summing up
the results Of Mr.. CrolPs Investigations, OBJ
serves:
Basing upon Mr.. Crol's estimate of the
temperature ten degrees) of the latitude of
London if deprived of the warmth of the
Gulf Stream, this seeming paradox must be
true-that an ice-bearing current may raise
the temperature Of q region. Labrador has
really warm friend in the icy current which
clings to its shores; for though the mean
annual temperature Of that country is but
thirty-tWo degrees, still, according to MIR.
Cron's showing, this would be reduced by
no less than twenty-five degrees were the
polar stream to fail. Though considerable
uncertainty necessarily exists regarding the
data used, yet the general results arrived at
of the enormous influence Of ocean cur
rents on the climatic conditions of the globe
in distributing the heat received from the
sun cannot be materially affected, and al
most warrant the conclusion come to by
MIR. Crol-that without ocean currents the
earth would not be habitable.
These discoveries appear to MIR. Croll to
throw a new light on the mystery of geo.
logical climate. Were the warm currents
off, the Northern hemisphere would speed
lily pass into state of general glaciation.
Such detection Of the currents, it is be-
lieved, might take. place by change in the
eccentricity of the earth's orbit. A high
condition of eccentricity would tend TO
produce an accumulation Of snow and ice
in the hemisphere, whose winters occur in
aphelion, while exactly the opposite effect
would take place In the other hemisphere,
which has its winters in perihellon.
Then, since the trade winds owe their
existence mainly to the difference OF
temperature which exists between the
polar and equatorial regions, it fol-
lows that the trade winds OF this
colder hemisphere would greatly exceed
those of the warmer in strength, and would
impel the warmer waters Of the tropics en-
tirely over into the opposite hemisphere, in
the same manner as the southeast trace
winds of the present state of the globe, from
the Southern (colder) hemisphere, now
overcome the northeastern and aid in
transferring larger share of the equatorial
waters to the warm currents Of the North
ern hemisphere. A similar condition OF
things to that which prevailed during the
glacial epoch would then exist in the one.
half of the earth, while climate equal to
that which geologist know TO have pre-.
vailed in this hemisphere during a part Of
the Miocene period, when North Green.
land enjoyed climate as mild as that OF
England at the present day, would reign In
the opposite hemisphere,