Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-08
II. S. ACTS TO MAKE SEAS
SAFE FOR 1923 FLYERS
Two Scientific Branches of Government
Join Hands to Overcome Perils
Encountered by Others.

sides Of the Atlantic in the Winter
months. and because Of the fact that
the great circle" course or shOrtest
route carries too far north and acr0s~
pr0hihitive temperatures. the closes.
approach to the great circle route
which is recommended az practicable
for the early Winter IL from Eew
York via bermuda and the Azores TO
Europe. Worst conditions along this
route are close to the coast on the
American side and affect fight hut
a few hours on an average. The
central and longest leg OF this route,
between Bermuda and the Azores, In
south Of and parallels the s0-degree
temperature line. The route from
Miami to Bermuda IN just south Of the
s0,degree line. Norfolk to Bermuda
crosses temperature lines at right
angles. the temperature varying from
sc TO SO degrees. while from New
York TO Bermuda the temperature IL
lower. averaging IS TO 60 degrees r.
On the eastern leg from the Azores
70 the European continent the tenn
peratures are more favorable than
between New York and bermuda. be-
cause OF the influence OF the Gulf
Stream. The Horts-to-Cadiz route
lies in temperatures averaging be-
tween 80 and 50 degrees, with ths
route from Horta TO Lisbon about the
same.
Difference In Air.
One Of the interesting factors which
influence ocean flights il found in the
difference between the air over the
Gulf Stream and that over parts Of
| the ocean through which the warm
water does not pass. Steep tenpera-
| ture gradients occur at the Grand
Banks and at Cape Hatteras. due 20
| the intrusion Of Arctic water at the
| former point and the cold coastal
water at the Carolina capes. the turn.
| ing points not only for the warm
northerly drifting Gulf Stream, but
also for the colder waters which run
southwesteriy between the Gull
Stream and the shore.
| Water relatively cool 10 that in
midocean Is carried southwark down
/ the west African Coast. Convergence
OF ocean temperatures al the Grand
Banks and at Cape Hatteras In ac-
counted for by the southerly resultant
movement Of the cold inshore waters.
which. at an average rate Of about I
knot. move southwark to the Gulf Of
Mexico. inshore of the Gulf Stream
which carries warm water northvard
at an average maximum speed of "a
knots. giving relative movement Of
water of different temperature Of
about az knots. These waters closely
parallel the l00-fathom curve along
the coast line and may he marked by
surface craft almost Immediately.
How do these ocean temperatures
affect the upper air: Their effect In
shown by the high percentage OF fog
prevalent for the month OF December.
which is 30 to Is per cent OF the days
OF the Grand Banks. with smaller
percentage 10 the eastward and south
westward from Newfoundland The
fogs If Newfoundland owe their ex-
istence for the most part TO the
blowing OF warm. mo;stureladen
winds from the Gull Stream and
other warm waters over the colder
waters Of the Labrador currents and
~sisrs contiguous TO the Grand
Banks
|. Fog NJ Eewfoundia nd generally aver
ages 500 feet high. hut has been found
ITO reach an altitude of s.oes feet.
This is the sort Of spectral atmosphere
through which Byrd. Neville. Ralchen
and Acosta few for nearly GOA miles
passing over France in the gray
fingers 81 the fog finally 20 drop In
the shallow waters Of the English
Channel near Ver-sur-Aer. France.
kIinu Tor Hours.
They We're hind for nearly 20 hours.
fying a compass course alone aided
by the other navigation Instruments
which have heen developed for the
men Of the upper air. This is ex-
planned by the photographic once By
the fact that when a icw-rressure
area ia over the fog bank the Low
clouds merge with the fog, giving un-
broken low visibility to great attitudes.
Ralchsn and Byrd both declared they
tried to rise above the fog hank and
were unah be TO do %.
I Obseryational evidence regarSiirg
wind structure over the oceans is l1cis-
ing. giving additional importance TO
the suggestion OF Schluter that wind
data should he available Tor high
lights over great hosiieS OF water. Ger
tain differences can be nsade. how
ever. from Investigations on land with
kites and balloons. keeping in mind
the difference in the effects Of And
AMI water surfaces on air movement
as related tn pressure distribution. n
10 well known that. for the same pres
sure gradient. surface winds are con.
sideTahly stronger at sea than on land
Therefore. in the case % airplansa.
the increase IN speed over water with
altitude and change az direction with
attitude il less than aheve land.
i IL is generally accepted that fer
every SIS feet Of altitude there 10 a
drop 10 degree In temperature So
the weather experts have arranged d
table showing the average Temperature
TO Be expected ut various heights cvee
the ocean. AZ activity in tire air
over the Atlantic approaches MS PEAK
in Midsummer next, IL may he ex~
pected that air data % Tar more pre-
etsacn than those with which Col
LindherEh travelled viii BE availAeae
for the future air travellers Certain
IL IL that ne aviator ~ the future
would aS deliberately into the low
pressure area which Capt, HShaenan
and Ruth Elder found west GO the
Azores,