The New York herald., 1879-11-22
The Origin OF the "Polar Waves

The wintry wave which has so recently
rolled over the northern part of the coun-
try seems to have been averitable congener
of "the November atmospheric wave,"
which Sir John Herschel and other English
scientists graphically describe. Herschel
defines it as it is felt in England as zone
great billow or mountainous breaker of air
which sweeps in November across the whole
North Atlantic and the European CONT
nent from northwest to southeast, preceded
and followed by sudden and violent subor-
dinate fluctuations" He imagined that the
phenomenon was peculiar to his own side
of the Atlantic. But it is no less marked
States Indeed, it appears to reach Great
Britain after traversing the Western CONT
nent. The late weather reports, showing
the presence of a '.high pressure" wave,
with barometers ranging from 80 80 to 80. 80
inches over Manitoba and the Northwest,
and pouring its freezing air currents over
the lakes and the Upper Mississippi Valley,
leave DO room for doubt that we have just
experienced such a wave as the English
philosopher depicts. 1t may not produce
here the same effects which characterize or
attend its approach to the British shores
intense storms, copious downpours of rain
and the famous November London fog,
with
No sky, no earthly view,
No distance looking blue.
But this is because our atmosphere is not
xx,;kh
after travelling across q dry continent it is
felt as O cold, arid blast, like the famous
drying winds which descend on the lee
ward sides of the Peruvian Cordilleras.
The origin Of these aerial waves crossing
the continent from the Pacific coast is
point of no small Importance to determine.
Sir John Herschel hazarded the conjecture
that they ''originate in the opposite hemi-
sphere" by which he may have meant this
continent. Others suppose, or assume,
that they are formed within the Arctic
basin. That they bring with them the in
tense cold characteristic of the polar regions
is unquestionable. But there is reason to
believe they originate over the vast plains
of interior and Northeastern Siberia. This
is the region of the highest barometric pres
sure in winter known on the globe. 1t is
also the region of greatest winter cold, "the
pole of greatest cold." as it is called by
geographers, being near Yakutsk, on the
Lena, where DR.. Weikof, the Russian ex-
plorer, tells us, ''the cold of winter
is more intense than on the shores
of tho Arctic" The lowest Arctic
temperature observed by Kane that we
know was 81 degrees below zero, whilc 76
degrees below zero has been reported in
Siberia. The average thermometric read
ing at Yakutsk in January is Al degrees
below zero. But the great point to be
noticed Is the enormous accumulation of
barometric pressure which forms in the
winter over the Siberian districts.
The international observations now taken
for and charted by our Signal Service are
sufficiently extended in Asia to enable 1t to
project the outlines of tho great Siberian
areas of high barometer on its daily inter-
national weather charts; and these reveal
not unfrequently vast areas in which, as
early rs December, the pressure ranges
from 80 SO to 81. 20 inches. Two years ago
the Signal Service international charts,
from the 10Th to the Goth OF December,
record Siberian pressures ranging from
| 81. 20 to 31-50 inches and higher, especially