Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-19
Air in Sea Seen Factor
In Weather PREDICTING
Burometric Lows Follow
Warm Current as II Cools
BY Thomas R. Henry

Absorption and release Of air by the
oceans may be one of the major factors
in the worlds weather.
Sea and air should be considered as
an entity in long-range forecasting.
This novel theory is proposed in the
current journal of the Explorers Club
by Capt. Robert Kamdrum, veteran
navigator and explorer of the Arctic
and Northern Pacific.
The fact that air exists in sea water.
he says. can easily be observed. al
though not directly measured. 1t is
apparent from the foaming air bubbles
which burst with Kissing noise along
a ships wake. The observation, he
holds, may have some immediate prac-
teal Importance because of the pos
sibility of extracting this air for SUBJ
marine use.
"Cold water contains more air, while
cold air contains less water" he says.
Gas consequence warm water in proc
ess of cooling will absorb air from the
atmosphere, causing barometric low
and cold water in the process of warm
ing will release part of its air, causing
a high
Low Pressure Habits.
I'm support of this theory we find
that barometric lows. and cyclonic
storms in general follow warm currents
which are in a state of cooling. Loca-
ton of highs, on the other hand, we
find in areas where the cool ocean
currents are getting warmer. There are
three permanent highs along the belt
of 80 degrees south latitude.
whether ocean water is in process
of warming or cooling depends on the
relative temperature of the air IN that
locality. Therefore, it is obvious that
the meteorology of the future must
deal with the atmosphere ocean system
as one unit, particularly for long-range
forecasting.
1.-The Importance of oceans to the
circulation of the atmosphere is best
understood by considering the heat
budgets of the earth as q whole ana
of the atmosphere. The energy which
the earth receives by radiation from the
sun is in part reflected from the earth's
surface or from clouds, and is in part
absorbed, mostly by ocean water. Only
the amount absorbed is of Importance
to the heat budget of the earth.
Through the agency Of ocean cur
rents heat and cold may lie distributed
over thousands of miles. 1t is possible
to follow the course of mass of warm
water that originates in the trade wind
belt of the Southern Hemisphere and re-
mains recognizable for a year and a
half. through a course of more than
1000 miles. This redistributing func-
ton of the ocean tends to make up
for the uneven heating of the earth
by the sun.
Absorption in Tropics.
Generally speaking, maximum abb
sorption of heat energy takes place in
the tropics. AS the declination of the
sun varies with the seasons so the belt
of maximum and minimum heat abb
Sorption must also change. It is for this
reason that the temperature of ocean
currents fluctuates in different sectors
in relation to the geographic position
of that particular sector or water mass.
There are four main warm ocean
current systems in the world: North
Pacific and North Atlantic. running
clockwise: South Pacific and South
Atlantic running counterclockWise. All
adjacent waters to the outer rim of
these currents circulate in opposite
directions.
These four great hydraulic wheels
of warm ocean currents with average
diameters of 1000 to 1000 miles
circulate at such speeds that they do
not make complete cycles in one sea-
son. Therefore, arrival of each sector
of maximum or minimum temperature
into an area of higher latitude may not
coincide with regular seasonal mean
values and affect the weather of that
area accordingly"