Evening star., 1936-07-28
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress i'm Field.
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS R. HENRY.

The Arctic Ocean, refrigerator for half
the earth, is warming up.
Since 1900 its zero line has risen ap-
proximately 100 yards, according to re-
ports made to the International Polar
Year Commission. The Norwegian ex-
plorer Nansen first discovered, in 1896,
that this shallow, land-locked sea around
the North Pole consisted in Summer of
two distinct layers. At the surface and
extending to depth of about 200 yards
the temperatures were below the tenn
peratureS of fresh water-ranging from
i to 2 centigrade. Beneath this.
reaching to depths Of from 600 to TOO
yards, was q practically independent
layer of much saltier water with an aver
age temperature of slightly more than
l degree centigrade. This observation
was confirmed two years later by inde-
pendent measurements.
1t was not until 1927 that there came
the first indications that a change was
in progress. The Russian explorer Max
azoff, cruising between Franz Josef Land
and Nova zembla, found temperatures of
approximately half degree centigrade
at depth of 100 yards. In 1881, at the
same place, oceanographers employed on
the Russian polar year program found
repeatedly temperature of zero at rs
meters. In 1884 zero temperatures were
reported between 10 and 80 meters.
Analysis of random measurements
taken since the beginning of the CEN
tury indicates that there has been a
4
greatly complicated by recessions, none
of which, however, quite reach the previ-
GUS low. This is probably due, accord
ing to an analysis by Jules Schokalsky,
president of the Soviet Geographic So
ciety, to which the reports Of the Rus
sian explorers engaged on the polar year
work were made, to an increase In the
amount of water being poured into the
Arctic basin by the North Atlantic
current.
The crack in the Arctic's cold de-
fenses. he believes, is the Rarenz Sea,
Into this relatively shallow arm of the
polar ocean the North Atlantic current
penetrates by four routes running east
of Spitsbergen and between Franz Josef
Land and Nova zembla. The warmer
water from the North Atlantic Is pushed
under the colder Arctic water and re-
suits in the zero line being pushed
slowly upward, unless there is an equiv
alent outflow. Apparently this, nor
mally to be expected from the Labrador
current, is not taking place, with the
result that the Arctic is storing a sur
plus of heat,
It Is not known whether the effect Is
one of long duration. If this is the case,
meteorologists point out, tho warming of
the Arctic may be of far-reaching sig
nificance. The land-locked basin around
the pole is the Northern HemiSphere's
coldweather factory. Cold waves, pushed
out Of the Arctic along the paths of least
resistance over the continents of North
America, Europe and Asia, are primarily
responsible for cold weather at all sea-
sons. The unseasonably warm Winters
few years ago were due to the fact
that the cold paths out OF the Arctic
seemed to be blocked.
Ever since the first of the century the
temperature average of both the United
States and Europe has been increasing.
1t still 10 increasing, even in the face
Of two extremely cold winters, and 1t Ia
not known whether the heat has reached
its maximum. although there Is some
indication Of turning pltnt. The curl.
eus phenemenen Eepests1 by the RUS