Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-10
Atmosphere Holds
Heat Of the Sun.

Heat Of the Sun. sion ans This nus mi1-
ture holds and tempers the neat of
the sun, prevents US from being burn
ed up in the day and frozen to death at
night. It has a pressure of fifteen
pounds to the square inch, which we
do not feel because il presses upon US
equally from all directions. When it
begins to move however, its weight is
APPARENT enough. as witness the nine
~ nile gale hat upset New York the
other day.
Now there are two principal move
ments OF this atmosphere upon which
depend the wird and the temperature.
In the first place. the moisture parti-
cles o. the air catch the heat of the
sun. Since the air is more moisture
laden near the earth, that part Of the
atmosphere gets most of the heat.
II would get SO warm that we couldn't
live in II, except that the heat makes
IL light. w~hereupon ii rises. working
against the force of gravity and losing
heat in the effort. For these reasons
IL Is always cooler at high attitudes.
1t continues to get cooler as you go
upward until o reach a level where
the air holds no moisture whatever.
when the thermometer sticks at the
conservative level OF %59 degrees be-
low zero, which Is known as the abso-
lutte zero OF space.
Such is the movement Of the air up
and down. It's prevailing movement
across the surface of the earth derives
it's motive power from the equatorial
regions. There the heat of the sun
touches the earth with greatest inten-
the earth the heated air rises much
faster and higher than anywhere else.
From this equatorial eminence It goes
sliding down toward each Of the poles.
and aa IL Tear6 them Y1,sheS rotrnd and
round exactly as a whirlpool IN running
water. This is the one constant. I'M
varying movement of the atmosphere,
and II creates the steady trade winds
which carry ships across the ocean
without let or break.
The eea reflects much Of the heat
from It's surface. uses a great deal
OF It in evapo-
Seeks Equilibrium ration and alb
1t Seldom Attains. far into It's
depths. Furthermore. 1T is relatively
smooth and free from Instructions. So
tho trade winds blow steadily across
the oceans. But the earth absorbs the
heat about four times as fast as the
sea and also throws IL or much faster.
causing much more rapid and UNEQUAL
changes OF temperature. while noun
tain ranges break Its and
the changing seasons offer yet another
complication. So under the majestic
circulation of the upper atmosphere is
the trouble belt In which we live.
where the warming atmosphere climbs
and the cooling falls. and the patch
work Of cool and warm areas move in
eternal conflict. seeking an equilibrium
which IL seldom attains.
This varied and complicated moye-
rnent is what makes the weather To
correctly forecast IL requires a word
wide system Of scouts to watch the
movements of the various bodies az
cold and hot air. The United States
weather bureau. with it's numerous oh
servers In all parts of this ountry and
% reports from all parts of the world.
is just such a system. and the proposed
International weather bureau would be
only q more perfect one. Meantime.
however. of clouds, direc-
tions Of wind. temperature, dew, frost
and many of the other daily phenomena
OF weather are Indications worth OBJ
serving. II he will take the trouble to
grasp the fundamental principles OF
meteorological movements and train his
weather eye by daily observation, any
one may become his own weather
prophet.