Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-01-20
TRAIN YOUR WEATHER EYE
How the Atmosphere Works
By Frederic ]. Haskin

us from being burned up in the day
and frozen to death at night. 1t has a
pressure of fifteen pounds to the square
inch, which we do not feel because II
presses upon us equally from all dtrec-
tions. When it begins to move, how
ever it's weight is apparent enough, as
witnesses the ninety emile gale that up
set New York the other day.
Now there are two principal move
ments of this atmosphere upon which
depend the wind and the temperature.
ticles of 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; 1t
would get so warm that we couldn't
live in 1t except that the heat makes
it light, whereupon it rises. working
heat in the effort. For these reasons
it is always cooler at high attitudes.
1t continues to get cooler as you go up
ward until you reach level where the
air holds no moisture whatever, when
the thermometer sticks at the conser-
vative level of 459 degrees below zero,
which is known as the absolute zero
Such is the movement of the air up
and down. Its prevailing movement
across the surface of the earth derives
regions. There the heat of the sun
touches the earth with greatest inten-
sity, so that over a broad area betting
the. earth the heated air rises much
,
From this equatorial eminence it goes
sliding down toward each of the poles,
and as it nears them rushes round and
| round exactly as a whirlpool in run
ming water. This is the one constant.
! unvarying movement of the atmos-
phere, and it creates the steady trade
winds which carry ships, across the
ocean without let or break.
The sea reflects much of the heat
from it's surface, uses a great deal of it
in evaporation and absorbs the rest far
re II he 1.
relatively smooth and free from OBJ
struotions. So the trade winds blow
steadily across the oceans. But the
earth absorbs the heat about four times
as fast as the sea and also throws it
off much faster, causing much more
rapid and unequal changes of temper
ature, while mountain ranges break it's
movements and the changing seasons
offer yet another complication. So un-
der the majestic circulation OF the up
pei. atmosphere is the trouble belt in
which we live, where the warming at
mosphere climbs and the cooling falls,
and the patchwork of cool and warm
areas moves in eternal conflict Seeking,
an equilibrium which it seldom at
tains.
This varied and complicated move
ment is what makes the weather To
correctly forecast it requires a world
wide system of scouts to watch the
movements OF the various bodies Of cold
and hot air. The United States Wealth
er Bureau, with it's numerous observ-
el9 ~ al pdTtS Oh tnls country ami its
| reports from all parts of the world, is
Just such a system, and the proposed
International weather bureau would be
! only a more perfect one. Meantime
| however, movements of clouds, direc,
| tions of wind, temperature, dew. frost
and many of the other daily phenomena
| of weather are indications worth oh
serving. IL he will take the trouble to
grasp the fundamental pri Icipals of
meteorological movements and train HE
weather eye by daily observation. anv-
prophet. ''