Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-27

of the oceans from tropics to the
| frigid zones.
X X X X
Referring to 1916, Mr.. Browne said
in his January, 1927, speech:
There were at that time early
| observations of solar radiation by
| the use of the periheliometer, an
instrument which in modern times
| has been very much improved. 1t
| showed for d period Of about five years
prior to 1916 a condition of low solar
| radiation, confirmed by low tempera-
lures all around the globe. 1t was
| also known to astronomers that the
| period reaching into 1916 was one
| approaching the maximum of sun
| spots.
This year G92T we approach the
| maximum sun spots. They indicate
| reduced temperature on the earth.
| The sun spot is a huge body of gas
| emerging from the interior of the
sun under terrific pressure, possibly
as thick as coal tar but still a
gas. 1t obeys the law of gases
| and expands at the surface of the
sun. and expanding gas means re-
duced temperature. You expand
liquid ammonia to produce refrig-
| eration.'
y
the solar radiation and ocean currents,
Mr.. Browne said:
Land cannot move solar heat from
| place to place. But the
| oceans, for the double reason of their
! being water and being SALT absorb
| solar radiation. Warm cur
rents flow in enormous volume prin-
cipally to the North, like the Gulf
Stream in the Atlantic and like the
Japanese Current in the Pacific"
| He explained the long time required
for the currents to carry their rhythm
from tropic to arctic or from antarctic
| to trOpic, so that when the suns heat
is lessened and thereby the heat stor-
age in the water is reduced in the
antarctic or along the coasts of the
American hemisphere, it will be a
year or three years before the full eff
feet of that reduction is felt at the
other end of the ocean rivers - the
| Gulf Stream or the Humboldt and
Japanese currents. When by the
| periodic increase of sun spots, year
| after year, for four or five years, there
is cumulative reduction of absorbed
! heat in the ocean, the full effect of
that reduction is spread over the fol-
lowing four or five years of climate.
X X X *
Space limits prevent discussion here
of the scientific data back of that sys-
tenn of long distance prognostication
| of weather, but it is all based upon
sun spots, causing variation in solar
radiation, and absorption and distribu-
ton OF the solar heat through ocean
| currents. This system pays no at
| tention at all to the day-by.day OBJ
nf Io n;.
thodoX Weather Bureau, and the two
| schools of science are at consistent
| logGerheads. 1t should be further
ftated that the adherents of the
| Browne system cite the records of
astronomy which tell the condition of
| sun spots for many centuries; and to
| the biologists who find confirmation
of periodic changes in climates, from
| tropical conditions in the Arctic to the
| layers of peat and palms and oaks
| and other vegetation records of the
ages. coincident with the astronomical
sun spots. There are distinctive cycles.
| Tho warmth carried by the currents
does not cease as soon as sun radia
ton is lowered: it lags behind for sew
eral years The Benguela current
flows north from the west coast of
South Africa, taking IS months to
| reach the Gulf of Mexico. 1t takes an
| other II months for the resulting Gulf
i Stream to reach its farthest northerly
drift in tho Arctic; hence. the effect OF
solar radiation and absorption off the
coast OF South Africa does not reach
its destination north OF Spitzbergen
| for two and q quarter years, but II
| forecaster knows conditions today In
South African waters. he knows what
will be tho effect In IcSiand ana SpitZ
bergen about Decemhkr 1. 1929.
Gconyrixht. 1927. by x'ful v. Coilins.s