Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-04-07
NOTIFICATIONS OF OUR CLIMATE.
We Are Promised Milder Winters for 9, ZOO


Every now and then some weather
sage predicts extremely cold winters
ana another ventures to say that the
sun Is gradually losing heat and in
time arctic cold will prevail over the
globe. Whatever may have been the
changes during the vast cycles of time
prior to the advent of man or what
ever may be the changes in the time to
| come one thing Is quite certain. that
our climate has been much modified
within the last 1000 or 5000 years.
There have been fifteen climatic
changes since the beginning of the
glacial age, each change lasting 10000
years and each change reversing the
season in the two hemispheres, the
pole which had enjoyed continuous
summer being doomed to undergo per-
petual winter for 1880 years, and
then passing TO its former state for an
equal term. The physical changes up
on the earth's surface during the last
$4,000 years modified the changes of
climate even in the arctic regions, so
that the intense cold of the former
epochs was much modified during the
latter epochs."
Reckoning these climatic changes in
their order we had entered the epoch of
a more genial temperature about 1900
years ago; and if no disturbing change
takes place during the present epoch
we may reasonably expect a gradual
modification of our winters for 5000
years to come. The changes to intense
cold from perpetual summer during the
greater part of the glacial period are
supposed to have been caused by the
high temperature of the north pole as
compared with that of the south pole,
owing to the distribution of land
around the two, the south having al
most none. DR.. Croll thinks it was
caused by the varying inclination of
the earth's axis, which produced the
relative position of the two poles to-
ward the sun to be periodically re-
versed at distant periods. DR.. James
Geikie agrees with Croll on the reverse
of seasons every 10000 years during
certain periods of high elipticitv of
earth's orbit. But it may be asked,
How could the fauna and flora propa-
gate themselves under such con-
ditions? The flora itself at the quater-
nary age was of extreme vigor. We
know this from the little which is left
us, but more especially from the
presence of large number Of her
bivorous animals-stags, horses, ele-
plants, rhinoceri, etc, which ami
mated the plains and valleys of Europe
and America at that time. Evidently
they could not have lived and propa-
gated themselves without abundant
Vegetation for nourishment and de-
velopment.
That which has deceived the adj
herents of the glacial theory, as under
stood in its absolute sense, is they have
generally placed a too high estimate on
its extent and intensity. 1t needs but
little effort of the reasoning powers
to come to the conclusion that the
earth had cooled to the degree that all
animal and vegetable life would exist
upon it, and that a portion of the
earth's surface permanently covered
with snow and ice was absolutely in
, dispensable to the existence, perpetuity,
and well-being of animal and vegeta-
BILE life. There is everything to show
| a modification of climate in our owp
days. If this goes on in the future
as in the past, there will be a mark
ed difference in the Temperature 200
or 800 years from now. Even a
degree in 1000 years would effect a
great change in the course of time.
The lowering of four degrees estab-
! lished the ancient extension of
glaciers, though it did not interrupt
animal or vegetable life. Eifty-four
of the tifty-seven species of moll-
usca have outlived the glacial age
and all our savage animals-even
certain number which have disap-
peared--date equally from the quater-
nary, and were contemporary with the
great extension of the glaciers.-Popu-
lar Science Monthly.