The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1902-06-27
Do YOU WANT o.
THE GULF STREAM MYTH.
The LOng-TauEht Theory Of Warm Gil
mate Due TO Influence of Gulf
Stream Abandoned.
From Kansas City Star.

Stream Abandoned
From Kansas City Star.
Are children still taught as they used
to be, that the British Isles and north
western 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 Liv-
erPOol isn't as cold as Labrador, the
chances are that the parent viii reply,
as he was taught IN school, that the
warm waters from the Gulf are carried
into Liverpool harbOr.
This theory was proved a myth at the
time of the Challenger expedition more
than twenty 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 in a recent and respectable
encyclopedia. As the investigators on
the Challenger found that the stream
disappears a 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 a widespread
error. and the magazine and newspaper
articles on the Gulf stream are only be
ginning to have an effect. The latest of
these is by Mr.. Harvey NJ. Watts in the
current Scribner's. 1t contains what
may be accepted as the most recent
summary of scientific thought on the
subject In brief the conclusion is that
the mildness of European climate IS due
to currents of air, not water.
Anyone who has paid attention to the
maps and forecasts Of the weather bu-
reau knows that there is a general at
mOspheric drift 10 the temperate zones
from west TO east. This means says
Mr.. Watts, that all coasts and countries
that lie east of oceans have transferred
/ to them oceanic amelioratiOns, while the
/ eastern parts Of continents naturally re-
ceive the atmospheric drift as affected
( by the land masses over which it has
| travelled"
This effect Is augmented by the Pecu-
liar shape which the drift takes in mid
/ ocean. The constant tumult in the at
mosphere 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 aDti-cyclone, remains
\ in midocean. with is center usually
/ nearer to Europe than 10 America In
/ July this center is normally northeast
of the Azores. The atmosphere swirls
about the center In the direction taken
by the hands of a clock. 1t is this enOr-
nous eddy of air that drives the CARR
bean waters into the Gulf from which
they pour out through the Florida
straits as the Gulf stream. The 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 1t reaches the west
coast Of Europe, which IT foods with
warmth. Occasionally Ia the winter the
center Of this eddy moves westward IN
til its outskirts touch America and pour
the mildness Of the tropics over the
United States, giving It a green" Christ
mas.
While the Atlantic anti-cyclone Is
amelioratiDg the climate of all western
Europe, the eastern coast Of America is
usually subject TO land winds. Eddies
/ about storm ceDters are crossing from
the Rockies to the Atlantic IN an endless
procession. Unfortunately Labrador
and Newfoundland happen to be in the
path OF winds that are drawn from the
! Arctic regions and bring with them Its
/ severe cold. So these are frozen lands.
while fifty little ports on the coast OF
Norway. further north. are open all win
ter. The difference is due to the atmOs-
pheric drift. and the Gulf stream has as
little 10 do with II as IL has with the
price Of eggs IN the Kansas City market