Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-02
Incubator for Weather
Possible in Antarctic
Scientists to Seek Source
Of Periodic Cold Suraes
BY Thomos R. Henry

A world weather incubator may ex-
list in a relatively small area in the
foothills of the ice-buried Rockefeller
Mountains on the Antarctic continent.
This region. at approximately so
south latitude and 100 east longitude,
Is one of the sites proposed for an Ant
Of observing stations stretching from
pole to pole during the forthcoming In
ternational Year. although it will re-
quire break In what would otherwise
be fairly straight line.
Study Of observations made by the
British exploring expeditions Of Sir
James Clark Ross, nearly q century ago,
has revealed the existence of cold
"surges" periodically spreading outward
In all directions from this region. The
place experiences some Of the coolest
weather on earth and Is close to the
most persistent pressure belt found
anywhere.
The effect Of these surges, the rea-
son for which is unknown. on world
weather may be far greater than their
size indicates, meteorologists planning
the International Year observations be-
lieve. because they can conceivably act
as triggers affecting the behavior of
the whole atmosphere.
United States Plans Three Stations
AS now planned, the Rockefeller
Mountain Piedmont station will be one
of three maintained throughout the
year on the Antarctic continent by
Americans and may prove the most diff
ficult Of all to establish. Other OBJ.
serving stations on the southern conti-
nent will be set up and maintained by
Great Britain, Australia, Chile and
Argentina.
During the past few years. the met
eorologists point out, some evidence has
been brought forward that notable
weather changes throughout the north
ern hemisphere are preceded and con-
trolled by changes in the far south, OF
which no adequate observations now are
available.
The base American station, as now
planned, is to be set up at Admiral
Richard e. Byrd's old camp at Little
America on the Bay Of Whales. Here
the day-to-day records Of four Ameri-
can expeditions, as well as those Of
Amundsen's Norwegian expedition
which discovered the South Pole. will
be available for comparison with the
more precise observations which can
, be taken during the winter Of 1957-58.
The Rockefeller Mountain station and
one at the South Pole itself win be
maintained as satellites.
22 Stations Between Poles.
The pole-to-pole line otherwise will
extend generally down the 80th west
longitude meridian and will consist Of
% stations extending from within
few miles of the North Pole through
North and South America. At all these
stations, under present plans, balloon
carried automatic recorders will be
used for observation up to 100000 feet
twice daily. These, 1t is expected, will
provide an enormous mass Of accurate
data on temperature, humidity, atmos-
pheric pressure, wind direction and
speed at various levels. Customary
surface observations also will be made.
Most OF the facilities and observers
through South America will be fur
nished by the South American coun-
. tries in which they are located. but
with technical training and equipment
loaned by the United States.
The greater part Of the high atmos-
phere of the entire southern hemi-
sphere. the planners point out, remains
relatively unexplored despite increasing
evidence of the Importance Of the
great southern air masses.