Evening star., 1935-11-16
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

Antarctica-earths coldest continent
upon whose high central plateau is To-
Gated the South Pole-is losing its
blanket Of ice because it is so cold.
The inland ice is waning, according
to report by Laurence Gould, geologist
Of the Byrd expedition, just issued by
the Geological Society of America, and
one hypothesis is that the continent is
in the midst of long, cold interglacial
period.
When 1t gets warmer the ice will get
thicker and great glaciers will be built
up again. Here is how it works:
An increase in the heat received from
the sun would not result in an imme-
diate increase of the temperature, but
would bring about a quick rise in the
rate of evaporation. This would fill the
air with moisture which would be pre-
cipitated in the form of snow. The in
creased snow cover would result, over
many years. in thicker ice. Then if the
sun continues to get warmer it would
bring the glaciation to a standstill, pos
sibly melt away the ice already accumu-
lated and the result would be warm,
wet interglacial period.
But when the heat from the sun
diminishes there is less evaporation,
hence less snow fall Hence there is
no accumulation of the ice cap, which
gradually diminishes. This is approxi-
mately the condition of the continent
today.
DR.. Gould presents this hypothesis in
an effort to explain the structure of the
great Ross Ice Cap-the great wall of
snow and ice 500 miles long which serves
as barrier to the continent. In an
other report on the geology of the Queen
Maude Mountains, DR.. Gould presents
evidence that Antarctica is single land
mass instead Of two great, ice-covered
islands, as some have maintained.
One island, 1t has been claimed, is
represented by the great ice-covered pla-
teau of East Antarctica, while the other
is represented by the high mountains
Of West Antarctica. These, 1t has been
held, constitute an extension of the
Andean chain Of South America which
goes completely around the bottom Of the
world to appear again In the mountains
OF New Zealand.
DR.. Gould's studies indicate, however,
that the Andes complex comes to an end
in the islands north of Antarctica and
that the entire continent represents one
geological system. Examination OF the
surface rocks of the Antarctic mountains
gives little evidence of South American
relationship.
A new type of apparatus has been
devised by DR.. o. H. Gish of the Car
negie Institution of Washington for
measuring the electrical conductivity of
the atmosphere many miles above the
earth's surface.
Although the air usually is considered
as non-conductor of electricity, Scien-
lists have known for many years that
q feeble electric current can be caused
to now in it. This conductivity is due
to the presence Of ionS-that Is, air
molecules that have become electrically
charged. As the ions move from one
place to another under the influence of
connective air currents or electric forces,
they carry their electric charges with
them. This movement of electric charges
constitutes an electric current.
Near the earth's surface the conduc-
tivity of the air is q thousand million
million million times smaller than the
conductivity Of copper. At greater
heights the ions which carry the current
are more numerous andk owing to the