Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1902-07-24
THE GULF STREAM MYTH.
II Is Not the Ocean Current That Makes
Europe's Climate Mild.

Are children still taught as they
used to be, that the British isles and
northwestern Europe owe their mild
climate to the Gulf stream? If the
schools have given up the old idea,
parents have not. And if the small
boy of the questioning age goes to
his father to learn why Liverpool
isn't as cold as Labrador, the chances
are that the parent will reply, as
he was taught in school, that the
warm waters from the gulf are car
ried into Liverpool harbor.
This theory was proved myth at
the time of the Challenger expedition
more than 20 years ago. But books
are still to be found asserting that
the Gulf stream saves northwestern
Europe from the fate Of Labrador.
This statement occurs even i'm re-
cent and respectable encyclopedia.
As the Investigators on the Chal-
lenger found that the stream disap-
pears little to the southeast of
Newfoundland, it is apparent that
the old theory as to its influence on
the coast of Europe is untenable.
But it is hard to correct wide
spread error, and the magazine and
newspaper articles on the Gulf stream
are only beginning to have an effect
The latest of these is by Mr. Harvey
NJ. Watts in Scribner's. 1t contains
what may be accepted as the most re-
cent summary of scientific thought
on the subject. In brief the conclu-
sion is that the mildness of European
climate is due to currents of air, not
of water
Anyone who has paid attention to
the maps and forecasts of the wealth
er bureau knows that there is gen.
eral atmospheric drift in the temper
ate zones from west to east. This
MEANS" says Mr. Watts, chat all
coasts and countries that lie east of
oceans have transferred to them
oceanic amelioration, while the east
ern parts of continents naturally re-
ceive the atmospheric drift as affect
ed by the land masses over which
it has travelled.
This effect is augmented by the
peculiar shape which the drift takes
in midocean. The constant tumult
in the atmosphere caused by the heat
at the equator and the cold at the
poles, results in vast eddies of air.
One of these, called the Atlantic anti
cyclone, remains in midocean, with
its center usually nearer to Europe
than to America. In July this CEN
ter is normally northeast Of the
Azores. The atmosphere swirls
about the center in the direction
taken by the hands of clock. 1t
is this enormous eddy of air that
drives the Caribbean waters into the
gulf from which they pour out
through the Florida straits as the
Gulf stream. Tho rotation of the
atmosphere in the Atlantic brings
the warm air of the tropics north over
the western part of the ocean and
then east and south until it reaches
the west coast of Europe, which it
floods with warmth. Occasionally in
the winter the center of this eddy
moves westward until its outskirts
touch America and pour the mildness
of the tropics over De United States,
giving it a green" Christmas.
While the Atlantic anti-cyclone is
ameliorating the climate of all west
ern Europe, the eastern coast of
America is usually subject to land
winds. Eddies about storm centers
are crossing from the Rockies to the
Atlantic in an endless procession.
Unfortunately Labrador and New
foundland happen to be in the path
of winds that are drawn from the
arctic regions and bring with them its
severest cold. So these are frozen
lands, while so little ports on the
coast of Norway, further north, are
open all winter. The difference is
due to the atmospheric drift, and the
Gulf stream has as little to do with
it as it has with the price of eggs in
the Kansas City narket.-Kansas
City Star.