Evening star., 1934-05-13
DUST MAY DELAY
BALLOON FLIGHT
National Geographic Society
Officers Confer With
Weather Experts.

Fear that the great dust storms,
the fringes of which visited Washing
ton yesterday, might interfere with
the National Geographic Society Army
Air Corps stratosphere balloon flight
planned for next month were ex-
pressed here yesterday.
Officers of the society are in con-
ference with experts of the Weather
Bureau to discuss the probability of
the dust clouds remaining in the
atmosphere long enough to destroy the
crystal clarity of atmosphere desired
for the flight Any appreciable amount
OF dust remaining in the air might
interfere seriously with the many
scientific observations which are the
purpose of the coming flight.
While there is little likelihood in
the opinion Of weather specialists, that
the present dust cloud will remain
in the air for any length of time, 1t
was pointed out that clouds of super
hne dust and ash particles have been
known to remain in the upper air for
years after being shot up by volcanic
eruptions.
Particles are Course
Rain is expected to wash the pres
ent dust clouds out of the air or the
winds will blow it Eastward over the
Atlantic, in the opinion of the Weather
Bureau authorities. Whether other
dust storms will follow depends on
winds and drought in the West. The
Wnctarp duct nIo,dc n u,o, y,aintad
out, are composed of relatively coarse
particles and are not as likely to re-
main long in the air as are clouds
Of volcanic ash.
Records at the headquarters of the
National Geographic Society show that
after the famous explosion of Kra-
katoa, in the East Indies, in 1883,
and the explosion of Mt Katnai in
Alaska, in 1912, the temperature at
the earth's surface fell and remained
below normal for two or three years
because the dust screened some of
the suns heat from the earth.
The mysterious stratoSphere. eX-
ploration of which will be the purpose
OF the coming flight. played an i'm
portant part in these duSt-cauSed
phenomena. Once the superflne par
ticles were shot as high as the stratos-
phere, which begins seven miles up,
they could not be washed out Of the
air, for no rain fcrns in the stratos-
phere Only gravity could bring the
dust down. and because of the ex-
treme fineness of the particles, 1T
required from one to three years for
all of them to sink into the region
of clouds and rain.
Will Analyze Samples.
One of the scientific projects dur
ing the stratosphere flight will be the
trapping of air samples at very high
attitudes. These will be analyzed to
determine their chemical make up
and to find whether they contain any
dust particles.
The present dust cloud, it was
pointed out, reaches less than half
the distance to the lower limits OF
the stratosphere. Even so, 1t was ex-
planned, it would interfere with the
Photographic studies of the earth,
which will constitute an important
item in the scientific work to be con-
Quoted by the society and the Army.
Not only dust clouds, but all other
unfavorable weather conditions will
be avoided in making the flight, it
was explained today at the headquar-
ters of the National Geographic So
ciety. The expedition, after getting
everything in readiness, will wait
weeks, If necessary. for ideal weather.
Scientific results are the sole aim Of
the flight, it was explained, and it
will not be necessary to follow a
schedule. The Weather Bureau will
make special observations and keep
the expedition base informed Of the
approach of favorable conditions.
Mai. William E. Kepner and Capt.
Albert w. Stevens will compose the
ha1loOn DerSOnnel.