Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-04
HUGE SUN SPOT
VISIBLE AUGUST Z
Scientists Are Waiting to
Study Effects of Pie.
nomena on Weather.
BY LEMUEL F. PARTON.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, August 3-As August
IL approaches scientists throughout
America are alert and waiting with
sensitive instruments. This is the date
for the appearance of a sun spot 1000
miles long and 10000 miles wide on the
face of the sun.
While scientists here say today that
the spot probably will not cause static
In radio broadcaSting. radio researchers
also are on the watch, as the Subtler
problems of radio and terrestrial mag
netism have certain overlapping fields,
and in connection with the latter the
phenomena Of sun spots are being
closely studied
The sun spots appear, roughly, in IL
year cycles, and this is sun spot year.
Usually, but not invariably, there have
been periodical extremes of storms or
drought, corresponding rather closely
with the coming of the sun spots, and
this year has not broken the general
rule. The drought during July in the
Northern and Eastern States has been
the severest in 10 years.
Pronouncements Indefinite.
Scientists have no definite pronounce
ments TO make as to dependence upon
the sun for weather variations, but they
are chalking up vast amount of data,
leading possibly to complete under
standing of the relations between
weather, terrestrial magnetism and cos
mic forces from the sun, or even from
the depths Of space beyond.
Charles Greeley Abbott of the Smith
sonian Institution, one Of the leading
astrophysicists of the country, has car
ried through profound studies of solar
radiation and of sun spots, and holds
uith
search, definite atmospheric responsive
ness to solar emanations may be estab-
llShed and that the weather will become
much more practicable.
It is assumed here that Comdr. Byrd,
in the South Polar regions, will be on
the lookout for the effects of the big
sun spot, as his studies and observations
OF the heavyside surface and its effect
on the radio rebound in the Far South
have disclosed that his expedition is
splendidly stated and equipped for work
on problems of terrestrial magnetism,
nseparable from the study of solar
energies. The Carnegie Institute has
Tor many years carried through minute
observations in all parts of the world,
including the Polar regions, which it
is slowly piecing together in what it is
hoped Will be an understandable pattern
OF cosmic and terrestrial forces. Scien-
lists have regarded the presence of the
Byrd expedition in the South at this
time as extremely fortunate and hope
that the commanders findings will fur
ther the work Of completing this curious
magnetic picture puzzle.
Old Weather Evidence,
The sun Is a variable star. and SCI
entiStS have long considered the theory
that long ether cycles are an incidence
to this ''cosnic wink" A vast amount
Of work has been done in checking the
correspondence of the advance and re-
treat OF the Ice wall, as far south as
the Ohio River, with the rise and fall
in the flow of the sun. In examining
this, as well as establishing the recur-
rent sun spot cycle of II years, they
nave studied the rings of ancient trees,
such as the California redwoods, which
give them a fairly accurate weather
chart for several thousands of years.
Other data IS obtained from cross-sec-
tons OF the beds of streams, showing
silt deposits in succeeding years, re-
vealing the water level of the stream,
and hence the seasonal moisture, in q
given year.
Both methods appear to show d.
rect relationship between the number
of sun spots and the number of storms,
writes Prof. Ellsworth Huntington of
Yale University. Medium and others
the case of tropical hurricanes. More
over, the work of Kullmer shows that
not only the number of storms, but
their concentration in certain areas
varies in response to sun spots. Hence
it appears that changes in solar spot
tedness, even though unaccompanied by
any great changes in solar temperature,
may influence the circulation Of the
earth's atmosphere, and thus produce
distinct changes of climate"
DR. Charles Schuchert, professor
emeritus OF paleontology OF Yale. In
writing on this subject, agrees in gen.
eral with Prof. Huntington. but quail
fles his conclusion. as follows:
Influence of Sun.
Briefly, then, we may conclude that
the markedly varying climates of the
past seem to have been due, in part.
to periodic changes in the sun. but
mainly to alterations in the topographic
form of the earth's surface, plus varia-
the oceans. The causation for the
warmer Winter glacial climates may lie
in oscillations of solar energy"
Scientists were puzzled to find tropical
fossils in the polar regions and polar
fossils in the tropics. This FIRST led
them to believe that the sun had put
in sort of planetary stagger system.
traffic regulations. The axis of the
earth was supposed to wander"
through long periods of time. But the
trail led steadily away from this polar
wandering" theory, and the sun spot
solar radiation, terrestrial magnetism
cosynic forces theories are now well to
the front. The scientists believe they
are about to find some secret chambers,
where terrestrial and siderial secrets are
hidden. and they hope that the big.
new blemish on the sun, due August
IL, will help to unlock them.
(Copyrfeht, 1927