OCR Text |
Show - EXPERT EXPLAINS "WEATHER WEATHER "WEATI-IER "WEATI WEATI IER " " - " " Famous Scientist Takes ' Weather 'weather Apart to See What Tlat } Makes Malcs { It ItAct ItAct ItAct Act So Peculiarly ; Scoffs at Professional Rainmakers . . By DR . FRANK THONE THONEScience THONEScience Science Service Staff stlfY Stab : WriterVhat WriterWhat Writer WriterWhat \ What \Vhat Vhat makes the weather ? And what makes the weather act so mean at times tunes ? Whenever we get too much weather of one kind , as we have havebeen havebeen havebeen been during the past few weeks , \ eeks ( or as we did ofIts of its opposite oppositelast , last winter ) we arc are apt to ask these questions . Sometimes Sometines Sometimes } in thebrittle the thebrittle thebrittle brittle temper that persistent heat engenders , sometimes in dog dog- dogged dogged dogged - ged helplessness-but helplessness but helplessness - but we rea11 really } ' would like hke to know a little httle about aboutit It , . as if that would make our discomfort a trifle easier to endure . Science cannot answer all an weather questions , . for science , and andthe andthe andthe the science of weather in particular , is still "too too " young to know"all knowall know " all the answers But science can answer some of them . That ' weather cceather eather happens at all nll is isdue isdue due to three interacting factors Ule the Ulewarmmg thewarming thewarming warmmg warming sun , the turning earth , , and andthe andthe andthe the presence of an atmosphere on onour onour onour our planet Where the sun shmes shmcs shinesit shmesit shmcsit it gets warme've warm : \ we've weve \\e've e've eve \ ' all noticed noticedthat noticedthat noticedthat that . . When the sun shines shmes on theo the Y Yr61i r61i " $ . \ ' > t 'AP AP ' ' " # . ! ; 4 , Am Amr , " ' ) , -r r - . , t : . i < ! ' : t1 : 1 ' 'ri ri ' > : s " * \ ' : ; f " ) { i ) . Fit " # . k- k - k'f -'f 'f f - ' ti ; , . 6- 6 ' - 6M4"ti M4"ti M4ti . " ' , .t t . : } . "i i " 1 ' . , t t > > " - > < , * - - . Jftj JftjY Y ; i ! 1 * ) , ; 1 & o ra rak ' b bb bL a k ' + L " ; ( , s b , . " . VJ "t t "tt "ta "td \ " ' 14 " < " 1'J > ' --'J 'J J - : " ' " ' ; - 1 > OS < ; tret & ' " < r- r - r1 \1 1 \ ' : titffi 1 ) , ; \ t - ; I a , ! 'f f d ' iJ ! . y yD yy D ; ' y h R 1 " . " ' " \ yiI ; , % C ' " , ' , a'JY aJY " < ( ' , L .t4 t4 . J9 } 3 : ? : skG S ' > t 'v v ' 'vaLS ' t.rt < aLS + } . ' /.rt .rt , / . } ; . .rtt ' ' . --t t - 1 " S ' e eh h . ? ; " , . h > 'Ox Ox ' . fK fKY Y ' A > < , ) ' " " .tW'M1 .tWM1 tWM1 wws wwsw'w : $ . aj , : J $ ' f.f ff , . , " J < bi bi'v ck rrck . ; : " ' \'v 'v v \ ' . $ ' W > ' ! - < : 4 4k ' " -k k - 1 ' ' ' : , . a r > ' 9C $ ' < ; tt { tt.3 , , w'w ww \.3/ .3 \ : l ' l.hf .34 . t 0 " h st ; rr / # # ( ; 4 \ % ' * k / " , : ; - * . r + ; \ : { , -.hf .hf - . I - > 1 * . . , 't t ' 't4 k \-4 4 \ - < y y $ az t ts \s s \ sI , } , ) " tai/ tai taiaz " r / " . \ ( ' : . I $ < - . . ,1s 1s , < . ' , : . , j I t i : h 4 ' , \ t- t - tx ' " x J Jf ; ) ' < . - . < " > & . 7 74Lar Ly Lyb r " b " ' . > - < "f f " l + / ' \ ' ) f / d dLy " a " ar . . " ' "ff ff " # < : 4Lar " : > , ; ' > . + t e I ' 'tisv 'tisvt K ' .t t J J'tis l41 'tis tis V ' $ t : . , vt , > ' Z Za Zq Zw t tV "i i : " ' " r rh h\- h . jJ ; ; n ' \ - t nt . " ) P T > . < " $ a q " a " w " . , , " r.1 r1 ! : . . 6 .v v " . , < xd . y " rte ? V .00 00 . + Y : > ' YaN 'fie fie 'fieHv ' Hv ' 6 ' " C > : ; % . ) < aNra ra raC3 aN C3 C3r C3aq r aq aqC aqrY + , iiti tf hijft ) l , yJl > Jl , > , g v.r- v.r . v.rf rY -f f - a ' " y/ y < / yw gz .7 7 . . ywy'fl - . -y'fl y'fl yfl , - * ' : z $ O/ O / Min , ; ; - . { $ ' < .r r . O.r e . : > , fi < . # rA . .1t- .1t . .1ti't - i't it ' . ; tr : / t4 , w w ' > < Y gjST 0 t.v tv . 'Y Y ' d } 6 ; ! " ' > < 1 . ' [ .v v ; . i > iN1 N1 N1v " v ) ' : # j , " ; Y > I > ; % Mrf fr r ' " rt t , i , "W W "Wi " w i ; a < $ tl tlA A a . VfJ : { ( ' y4 W % , . ( ' / > : / > ) . " " ' * " " t y " fj . , f . s r rL.nwl rj ? tNWN.w tNWNw L.nwl Lnwl . ' . ra ray rauad.w.4 . . + y uad.w.4 uadw.4 uadw4 _ " . - . . . . . e u.e ue . . . . . . : "a'te ate " ' ' ? . : An Awesome Anesome Picture of or a Tornldo Tornado Tornado.One TornadoOne : . . One of or the Weather's Weathers ' Freaks rreaks . air mr , the air gets warm Anythingthat Anythmg Anything Anythmgthat Anythingthat that is waimed walmed warmed e expands .pands pands > . and there there- thereby thereby . - by becomes lighterAra lighter llghtcr lighterAn An Au Ara rises when thu . . c- c cpaneled C e " ' - paneled panccd pancied ! and andl1ghtencd andIightened andlightened l1ghtencd Iightened , , because bccause coolei COOlC1 cooler , , denser denseraIr denserair denserair aIr from rom somewhere somcwhere else clse tends to toflow toflow toflow flow in 10 under it and boost it lt rt upthus up , thus working workmg toward a restoration restorationof of the disturbed equilibrium equ1l1brlUm Smce Since Smcethe Sincethe Sincethe the sun shines shmes str straightest ughtest and hot- hot hottest hottest hot hottest - test near ne&lr nelr & the equator , & and &lnd lnd has less lesshea lessheating lessheating hea heating tmg effect near the poles , the thegeneral thegeneral thegeneral general tendency is for the coolheavy cool , heavy air mr to flow southward south\\ard south ard southvtard \ \ along alongthe alongthe alongthe the surface , while the rising rlsmg , cooler cooleraIr coolerair coolerair aIr flows northward norths northv . ard over itIf it itIt It If the earth stood perfectly still stilland stilland stilland and had a perfectly smooth and andumform anduniform anduniform umform uniform surface , and if 1f the warm warm- warming warmmg . - ing mg sun went rcunJ rcunl and round It Itas itas itas ( as in 10 the ancient Ptolemaic astron astron- astronomy astronomy astronomy - - omy ) , . the surface wind wmd would al- al always always al always - - ways be straight from the north northand , and the upper : air ur wind wmd straight to- to toward to toward . - ward the north northTwo northTwo Two Forces Act TogetherBut Together TogetherBut But the earth turns on its a axis axisand .1S 1S > . , and it rt doesn't doesnt ' hang onto the air alr as astlghtly astightly astightly tlghtly tightly as it does to land and water waterso , so that the air tends to slip sl1p a little littleIf littleIf littleIf If the north and south circulatIon circulatIonI circulatIonset circulationset circulationset I set up by the warming sun did not notI notC notexist notexist C exist "lst lst > " , this turning turnmg of the earth earthI earthwould earthwould earthwould I would give us a wind wmd straight outof outof out I ' of the west , all the way to the top topat topof topof at of the atmosphere But as it is rs , the thetwo thetwo thetwo two forces act on the air alr together togethercausing , causmg causing & an &In In air movement general generaltrend generaltrend generaltrend trend from northwest to southeastin southeastm southeast 10 m the northern hemisphere , . and andfrom andfrom andfrom from southwest to northeast m In the thesouthern thesouthern thesouthern thesouthernBut southern southernBut But this tIus is not all of the pIcture pIctureThe pictureThe pictureThe The surface of the earth is not per per- perfectly perfectly perfectly - fectly smooth and umorm uniform ! It has has1nountam hasmountain hasmountain 1nountam mountain ranges sticking up here hereand hereand hereand and there which act as paddle- paddle paddlewheels paddlewheels paddle-wheels paddle wheels - wheels or blades or cause deflections de- de deflections de deflections - flections in 10 m air current directionsAnd directions directionsAnd directionsAnd And it has alternations of lrlegu- lrlegu Irregu- Irregu lrlegularly Irregularly iriegu-larly iriegu larly - larly shaped oceans occans and contments continents continentsdeserts , deserts and forests , which load dif dlf- dlf dif- dlfferent different different - ferent air alr masses with d fermg differing differingamounts differingamounts fermgamounts amounts of ot water , and also act dif dlf- dlf dlflerently dif- dif differently differently - - ferently lerently in 10 rn squeezing that water out outof outof outof of them again agam , condensed into ram rain ramor rainor ramor or snow . These facts , then , rough out thebroad the thebroad thebroad broad framework framcwork of the world's worlds world'sweather world'sweather world'sweather worldsweather ' weather machine machme In Its details detalls 11 rt rtbecomes 11becomes itbecomes becomes terrifically ternfically complicated compl1cated Isit Is Is1t Istt 1t tt : any my anyonder myonder \\onder onder wonder \ \ that the weather weathersometimes weatherlomotunes omctltncs sometimes gn gives gites es even the experts expertswho expertswho expertswho who devote their thclr lives l1ves to it 1t rt a head head- headache headache headache9 - ache9 ache ? " ache9Is Is tLe the Climate Changing Chmgmg : ? What Vlrhat is cl climate mnte , anyt anyftas anY\a anY a ' \ ay ; > ? What WhatIS Whalis IS the difference dlference ! bet\\ bet between betcen betvteen \ \ cen cl1mate climate cl1mateand climateand climateand climateandcathcr9 and andcathcr \\cathcr9 cathcr9 \\cathcr cathcr vvcather \ \ cathcr9These ? ' These questions qucsl1on qucstion : puzzle a lot of ofpeople ofpeople olpeople people There is a difference dlf'rence dlfrence ! ( ' be . , tween tvveen them , all right rJght , though the thedlVldlDg thedividing thedividing dlVldlDg dividing line is not knife laule sharp sharpJ J . B Kmccr Kmcer of the United Umted StatesWeather States StatesWeather StatesWeather Weather Bureau puts it this way . ' Climate 'Chmatc Chmatc ' is the general run , or orsum orsum orsum sum total of weather , and that sum sumtotal sumtotal sumtotal total does docs not seem to be under under- undergoing undergoing . - going gomg any fundamental changes changesWeather changesWeather changesWeather Weather is the phase of climatethat climate climatethat climatethat that we experience experlcnce from day to day dayand dayand dayand and week to week , or even year to toyear toyear toyear year Therefore , weather varies vanes , Qf qf- qf qften qf-tcn qf tcn - - . tcn ten abruptly from day to day , due dueto dueto dueto to vast changes in air alr mass move move- movements movements movements - ments In other words , climate clm1ate Is Isrelatively Isrelatively isrelatively relatively stable ; weather erratic " . Thus , we can speak of the clm1ate climate climateas clm1ateas as a more of less dependable thmg thing thmgIt thingIf thingIf It If you go to England in autumn , , of ofcourse ofcourse ofcourse course you take takc umbrella and rub rub- rubbers rubbers - . bers ; if 1f you go to Southern Califor Califor- Cal Califorma California or- or orms - nia ms ma m in summer , equally of course courseyou courseyou courseyou you do not You count on the cli- cli climate climate cli climate - mate Yet there might be a sudden suddenerrabc suddenerratic suddenerratic errabc erratic sh shift t m weather , that ti1at would wouldsizzle wouldsizzle wouldsizzle sizzle you in London in 10 Septcmber September Septemberor , or drench you m in Hollywood in 10 JuneI JuneCbmates JuneClimates June JuneClimates Climates Cbmates do change , but not m in a ahuman ahuman ahuman I human lifetime bfetIme , or even in a whole wholeI wholerow wholerow wholerow I row of generations Permanent ch- ch cli- cli climatic chI chmabc cli climatic - matic mabc changes are jobs for the mil In1.l- In1.l . In1.llennla millennia - . I lennia lennla It is suspected suspectcd that the ch- ch cli- cli climate chI cli climate - I mate mate of northern Africa was wasmOIster wasmoister wasmoister mOIster 10,000 10000 , years ago than it 1t IS ISnow isnow isnow now , but we are not certain certam The Thechmate Theclimate Theclimate chmate climate of Ohio 01uo " i\as i as "as was \ once like hke that thatof thatof thatof of Greenland-but Greenland but Greenland - but that was a mat mat- matter matter matter - ter of . a million years The cllIDate climate climateof cllIDateof of Greenland was once like l1kE ' that of ofOhIO ofOhio ofOhio OhIO - but that was even longer longerago longerago longerago longeragoCycles ago agoCycles Cycles Are IrregularClimate : Irregular rregular IrregularClimate Climate Chmate does have its 1ts fluctuatIonsthat fluctuationsthat fluctuations fluctuationsthat -that that - that is lS , prolonged "spells spells " of ofweather ofweather ofweather weather " of ot one kind , followed byequally by byequal1y byequally equal1y equally prolonged plolonged "spells spells " " of op- op opposite op opposite . - posite poslte sign These Thcse are the "cycles cycles "cycles"you cyclesyou " " you hear talked talhed about About evcry every evcrythIrty everythirty everythirty thIrty or forty years there is a cll- cll cli- cli cllma"C climac cli climax - max ma"C maC " of drought , like hke the one we weare weare weare are having havmg now In between , therewill there therewl11 therewill wl11 will be an opposite climax cl1max climac of wet wetyears wetyears wetyears years There may be other cycles cycleswlthm cycleswithin cycleswithin wlthm within these , and perhaps even evenlonger evenlonger evenlonger longer ones outside them , but all allthe allthe allthe the cy C cycles ) des dies are arc too irregular in 10 rn ar- ar arrival ar arrival - rival and duration duratlon to permit of de dependable de- de dependable - pendable prediction just yetThose yetThose yet yetThose Those of us who can remember rememberbaclt rememberback rememberback baclt back to the early nineties mnehes will rc- rc re- re rccall recall re recall - - call the bankrupting bankruptmg drought that .v v . w N - _ " ' . , " ' _ ' _ _ scourged the country then And anearlier an ancarher anearlier carher earlier generaton generaLon generat-on generat on - found in a simi SlID1- SlID1 SlID1lar suni- suni sunitar similar - - . lar tar climatic cl1matJc depression dcpresslon the spur spurthat spurthat that sent them migrating rmgratmg to the theOregon theOregon theOregon Oregon territory terntory Some of those thoseemigrant thoseemigrant ! emIgrant trains trams left leit wagon tracksacross trachs tracks trachsI trachsacross tracksacross I across the dried bed of . Goose lake lakein , ! in Olegon 01egon Oiegon Subsequently Subseq.1ently Subseq1ently . the lake lakeI lakere lakere lakere I . re filled But in m the drouth of 1934 1934the 1934the the tracks trachs weregain were ' \ igain \gain gain laid lard bare The Thecycle Thecycle Thecycle cycle had fulfilled itselfWhat itself itselfWhat What C causes iuses < these climatic climatJc cy- cy cycles cycles cy cycles7 - cles cles7 ? ' Nobody knows Sunspots h\ve h ve hive hivemany hvemany hivemany ' \ many champions - but also many manyopponents manyopponents manyopponents opponents That is one of the thingson thmgson thmgs things on which the doctors still disagreeand disagreeand disagree disagreeand -and and - and the patient is free to suspend suspendJudgment suspendjudgment suspendjudgment Judgment or take sides himselfaccording himself , occordmg according to his own personal temperament tem tem- temperament temperament - I IWhen perament peramentWhen When will . . it rain ? What will mal make makeit makeit e eit it ram rain rain7 ' To those anxious queries querlcs , certain certainpcSSl1I1lstic certainpessimistic certainpessimistic pcSSl1I1lstic pessimistic souls are singing singmg theanswer the theanswer theanswer answer , in m a doleful dolefuI minor key : ; "It It "Itain't "Itain't "Itain't Itaint " ain't aint ' gonna rain no mo mo'I moI ' ! " Neverthe Neverthe- Nevertheless Nevertheless - less , it 1t will : it always does docs ram rameventually , eventually . But assurance that rain will come comeIS comeis comeis IS not an explanation explanabon of its |