Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-05-19
CLIMATE OF THE UPPER AIR
Variation of Temperature In Atmos.
phere AT Great Height.

~
That AT great heights. 10000 or 10000
feet. the Seasons occur at different
times of the year from those ON the
surface OF the earth just below appears
from numerous measurements Of tenn
pcraturc taken with sounding bal
looms" or small captive balloons con-
taining automatically registering in.
strumcnts
The fact that midsummer comes In
October IN the upper alr and mldwin-
ter IN April appears 10 have an i'm
portant influence on the weather OF
these months, as Is noted In an article
In Cirl ct Tcrrc distracted in Cosmos.
The author first notes that the upper
air temperatures measured by the
method referred TO above are surprls-
ingly low lie writes:
Facts regarding thcrmIc conditions
in the upper regions OF the atmosphere
are always OF interest Data collected
on this point several years ago by
means of sounding balloons caused
some establishment. hut nevertheless
they do not appear so remarkable when
we compare them with facts obtain
I'd more recently. since acrostats and
perfected devices have made II posi-
bile for lis to penetrate to still loftier
elevations.
ION Dec. 3. 1901. n balloon sent up
AT Trappcs. near Versailles. by Teis
serene dc Bort reached the height OF
4G,a0i feet. At this great height the
temperature wns ~ degrees f. In the
same December piece Of apparatus
sent up by Mr. Rotch nj st. Louis reg
istcred III degrees +. nj 1854 feet
These figures, which are actual rec.
ur,ls. have now been exceeded as we
shall see nj least so far as the Eu-
ropcan continent goes
In the Interchangeable Zeltschrift
FOR July last L. Nimfuhr announces the
temperature registered on two Sound
ing balloons sent up from Vienna on
March and April 1. 1903. The mini
MA recorded In these aSccnsions We're,
on March >, III degrees +. nj 3l.S72
feet. and on April 4. III degrees +. ut
80. ll3 feet These represent up to the
present day the extreme figures re-
corded In Europe.
at is important to note In this re-
gard that in the elevated layers Of the
atmosphere the tluctuation of the tenn
peraturc undcrgocs Il well marked an
nual variation which. however, IL not
parallel 10 that which Is familiar TO us
on the lower levels. The seasons In the
upper air are late. the greatest cold &C.
curing toward spring (the beginning
OF April and midsummer about the be-
ginning OF October
This popularity has some influence
on the condition Of the atmospheric
strata The provcrbial variability Of
the weather In spring results largely
from the fact that then the atmosphere
IS generally In state of unstable
equilibrium. due 10 the GOODNESS and
consequent excessive weight OF the up
per layers in relation 10 the lower.
which. being already somewhat warm
err are lighter
Nov We know that the equilibrium
of mass Of mir Is most stable when
the layers that are relatively warm
and light are above the colder ones.
This condition Is most often realized In
autumn for the reason indicated above,
and the weather then Is less variable
Sometimes the upper air also under
goes extraordinary thermal variations
IN the course of II day or two.
During the same lapse of time the
temperature on the earth's surface re-
mains scnshly the same. = Literary
Digest