Evening star., 1949-03-11
OF Stars, Men and Atoms
Atmospheric Reduction
Found in Hemisphere
Total Mass Decreasing, Charts
OF Air Pressure Indicate
Bv Thomas r. Henry


The total mass of atmosphere over the
Northern Hemisphere is decreasing.
This is shown by daily charts extending
over 40 years, recording air pressure at sea
level from observations made all over the
/ world north Of the Equator.
The phenomenon has just been reported
to the American Geophysical Union by G. w.
Brier of the Weather Bureau stan after an
intensive statistical study Of these records.
The weight of the earth's atmosphere Is
approximately 6,500,000 900. 100000 tons.
Presumably this is distributed about equally
over the two hemispheres There is great
seasonal variation. During the northern
winter pressure is high. 1t drops markedly
during the summer. The reverse is true for
the Southern Hemisphere.
Loss Is Tenth of Per Cent.
This is well-known seasonal variation.
Mr.. Briers findings from the long series OF
charts show, however. that for the Northern
Hemisphere the pressure peaks are higher
and the troughs lower year after year. The
phenomenon was apparent for each month.
This does not mean necessarily. that the
pressure for each month was in every case
lower than that for the corresponding month
the year before. but the general trend down.
ward was obvious.
The total loss, Mr.. Brier says amounts to
only about tenth of / per cent. In abb
solute figures, however. this means the loss
Of more than three trillion tons of atmos-
phere-presumaoly to the Southern Hemi-
sphere. There are no adequate observa-
tions by which meteorologists can state GER
tainly that this prodigious mass of air has
shifted south of the Equator. But it would
be absurd to believe, Mr. BrieH says that this
much could have been lost by the earth as
whole 1t is known that the amount lost
to the Northern Hemisphere in summer Is
picked up by the Southern Hemisphere.
The decline, records show, seems to have
followed no fixed pattern from month to
month and is unpredictabe. Hence its place
in long-range weather forecasting is debat-
able
Long stretches of Antarctic coastline hith-
erto essentially unknown, together with tow
ering new mountains, large bays and ga-
cers, have been placed on the map for the
first time due to flights of the expedition
led by Comdr. Finn Rome last winter.
Three New Ranges Found.
The geographic results of these flights
have just been made public by the ONCE Of
Naval Research which sponsored the scien-
tifc work of the expedition.
Most significant were the flights down the
Weddell Sea coast of the Palmer Peninsula.
Hitherto this sO-called R1chard Black Coast
has been known only in the vaguest outline
"a high piedmont at the foot of range Of
towering mountains which is broken by ice
walled bays and some remarkably steep
glaciers which fall like super -Niagaras from
among the ice-covered peaks.
At the southern enc of this coast Comdr.
Rome and his associates found at least three
new mountain ranges in an area which
hitherto has been almost a complete gap on
all maps. These are the Latady Mountains
"a succession of six or seven massive peaks
named for the expeditions chief plot-the
Scaife Mountains bordering the coast and
the SWeeny Mountains farther inland Also
added to the map is the huge Bowman
Peninsula projecting into the Weddell Sea
and named for the retired president of Johns
Hopkins University.
On the western side of the Palmer Penin-
sua Comdr. Rome and his associates
mapped accurately for the first time long
stretches of the Robert English coast bor-
dering the perpetually mist-shrouded Bel
lingshausens Sea.
The greater part Of the area flown over
was photographed with trimetragon cam
eras. so that coast features can be located
accurately on maps