New Britain herald., 1923-12-24
HOW POLAR FLIGHT
 MAY AID FARMERS
Trip Might Obtain Date Concern
 ing Weather Prospects

l Washington. D. C., Dec. 24.-"Not ! the least important Of the scientific ] data that might be gathered by an extended survey of the Arctic re- gions would be those in regard to ] States" says bulletin from the l Washington. D. C., headquarters of ! the National Geographic society in l regard to the polar expedition pro- i posed to be made by the L. s. navy 1 next spring by direction of Secretary Denby.
 Most of our weather is not a local matter at all," continues the bulletin,
 but results from disturbances that
 originate perhaps many thousands of
 miles away and drift to Us Thus our weather hill-of-fare is made up
 largely of series of moving lows and high'-regions Of subnormal and abnormal baromctric pressurc--made familiar to many readers by the roughly circular and ecliptical lines on the daily maps of the United States weather bureau.
 Technique of Weather Predictions
 Accompanying these disturbances are winds. hot and cold spell and rain or snow-the chief factors that make up our weather. Forecasting weather consists largely in detecting new disturbances as they show up on the western and northwestern bor- ders of the country. learning their characteristics, and figuring out the paths that they probably will follow because Of the prevailing pressures and temperatures ahead of them.
 "The great majority of the lows seem to originate over the warm sea south Of the Aleutian Islands in the winter. and over the interior of Alaska during the summer. Rut some of the conditions that cause them 10 be built up in those places and create the high to the east have their birth further north in the Polar TO- rions. and a better knowledge of tenn rerature pressure and wind changes there would undoubtedly facilitate weather forecasting.
 Unknown Region Important
 Tn the search for the beginnings of its weather. the United States is not concerned with the entire Polar regions. IL is most concerned, if happens with the uneNplored terri tory which lies north of Alaska. The outstanding and dominant factor in the Arctics contribution to the worlds weather is the draining Of its cold air southward. Air is slippery and cold air is heavy.
 When a pyramid Of cold air has been built up near the North Pole. the supper part slides down the slope and flows of with considerable momentum to the south, This is true an around the pole. Rut there are certain channels In which tho flow is by mountains and land masses One channel is down the northern arm Of the Atlantic between and Greenland; others are up the great river valleys O. Siberia and still others are through Bering Strait over Alaska east Of the Cana lian Rockies and up the Mackenzie and other valleys of Canada, Tt is his latter group of cod-air rivers .asa Of Siberia alone that directly in- i 1ucnces the weather of the United l States.
 "Temprrature. pressure and wind 1 fonditions-the rpally vital weather 1 not known in the region ! north from Alaska to the pole, and l are now merely assumed for scienti- l ic purposes largely by influence from i observations taken on the famous l Tram driff across the Asiatic side of 1 he Polar regions. Accurate observa- lions nf the seasonal changes or thn actors mado on the grouud--or | rather 'on th. would be or great .alue in flinc out scionce's perma- 1ent records