THE NORTH POLAR REGIONS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXI, Issue 7913, 29 September 1909, Page 1

THE NORTH POLAR REGIONS.

PROFESSOR MACMILLAN'S DISCOVERIES.

Per Press Association.

AUCKLAND, September 28. Professor A. P. W. Thomas, when interviewed to-day on the reported discoveries of Professor Macmillan m the North Polar regions, remarked that although nothing had been heard hitherto of the discovery, of indications of tropical plant and animal life m those regions, the discoveries of recent years had steadily pointed m the direction of showing fhat round the Polar regions a warm climate formerly prevailed. Coalbeds had been found m Greenland, while m Spitzbergen there were certain evidences of a former temperate climate. It was perfectly certain that the distribution of heat and life was quite different m former times from what it was at present. Of course, nothing has been stated as to the probable age of these deposits," said Professor Thomas, " but tropical plant and animal growth is spoken of, and I take it to mean, judging from the amount o finformation available,' that the deposits %vere found m beds of the early Tertiary period, which would take us back perhaps 1,000,000 years." Speaking on the hypotheses for such complete revolution of terrestrial climatic conditions, the professor said that the gradual shifting of the earth's axis would account for a complete revolution m climate,' arid m support.of the hypothesis of axial deviation there were evidences to be found still further back, strong evidences of a glaciation at one time of equatorial regions m. India, New South ' Wales,' Victoria, and m Africa. "That," remarked the professor, " agrees m pointing to a revolution of climate, but I take it thai this particular discovery m latitude 81 concerns deposits not contemporaneous with the glaciation I have just referred to. With regard to this discovery, it is worthy of note that m Europe generally evidences point to a much warmer climate m early Tertiary times. AYe get a subtropical flora even m England. There is, of course, the theory ■ that the ( temperature of the earth was at one time warmer through an increase of heat 4 effected, by extraterrestrial causes, such, for instance, as increased power of the sun*, Up m those latitudes there have been pre-' viously found evidences of an abundant growth of trees. Willows,, oaks, and even palms have been found; but this particular discovery is more likely to strengthen the hypothesis that the change of climate has been due to a change of axis. Were it attributable to the heat of the sun having been so much greater at a time when vegetable and animal life were existing on the earth, it would mean that the other parts of the earth would be subjected to such intense heat as to rentW all save the poles uninhabitable."