Page:The National geographic magazine, volume 1.djvu/206

 fluid entering fluid at rest, the development of discontinuous (so called by Helmholtz) currents, the tendency of parallel currents of unequal velocities towards similar velocities, the effect of friction arising from contiguous currents of different velocities, upon the coefficient of friction, of the temperature distribution over the surface of the earth, etc. He derives three very simple expressions for the motions of the air; the first giving the velocity in a vertical direction at any point, in terms of latitude, and a constant and factor depending on the distance of the point above the surface of the earth. The other expressions give the velocities in a north or south direction, and in an east or west direction, also in terms of constants and latitude. The velocity when charted from Overbeck's equations indicate an ascending vertical current from the equator to 35° north, and thence a descending current to the pole. The meridional current at the equator and pole are zero, and have a maximum value at latitude 45°.

Ciro Ferari, from long and important investigations of thunder-storms, shows that these phenomena invariably attend motionless areas of low pressure, and believes the surest elements for predicting such storms will be found to be the peculiarities in distribution of temperature and absolute humidity. He observes that the storm front invariably tends to project itself into the regions where the humidity is greatest, and that hail accompanies rapidly moving storms of deep barometric depression. Ferari considers the chief causes of thunder storms to lie in the connection of high temperature and high humidity. Grossman believes that ascending moist-laden currents are the cause of thunder storms, and hence they are most frequent when the temperature diminution with altitude is very great, so that the over-heating of the lower air strata in the warmest part of the day is the cause of the primary maximum of thunder-storm frequency.

Abercromby and Hildebrandsson have renewed their recommendations for a re-classification of clouds in ten fundamental types, in which the first part of the compound name, such as cirro-stratus, cirro-cumulus, etc., is to be in a measure indicative of the height of a cloud.

Hildebrandsson has charted the differences of monthly means of air pressure for January, 1874 to 1884. In January, 1874, the values at nearly all the stations in the Northern Hemisphere, were plus, and those in the Southern, minus. It is to be hoped that such general discussions of this important meteorological element may be continued.