CLIMATE OF AUSTRALASIA.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 279, 23 November 1921, Page 9

CLIMATE OF AUSTRALASIA.

<To the Editor.} Sir.—The re-port in Tuesday's "Star" of iceberga having been sighted during October in the Indian Ocean in Lat. 30deg. S made mc refer to the log sent to mc by my cousin, Mr. R. C. Mo=eman, F.R.5.F... who was meterorologiet in the Scottish Antarctic expedition (1902-190;")) that sailed from Troon, in the Scotia in 1002, Hinder the leadership of Dr. Bruce,, whose death you recently recorded. % few extracts in round numbers show how variable ie the extension of the ice-cap. "Left Port Stanley (Falkland Islands) January 26, lflO3. Pasecd ■several bergs January 30, lat. 50 S; long. 47 YV. February 2, lat. 60 S; long. 47 W. reached edge of pack. Scotia surrounded. There is no doubt we have made the pack much farther North .than usual. Ross in 1843 did not encounter it till about lat. <*>. I expect conditions over Weddell Sea have been abnormal during the past winter, which was exceptionally severe in Stanley; S and S.E. winds instead of usual air currents from N and N.W. The unusual cold prevailed into October. February 20, 1903, lat. 69; long. 23. It i 3 SO years to-day since Weddell reached 'his furthest south, a little to the west of us. He must have had very excep tional conditions, as no ice was to be seen when he turned north, in lat. 74 deg. 15 S; long. 34.17 W." Mr. Mossman wae joint author with the late Dr. Bruce in the publication of the "Voyage of the Scotia." Professor Gregory, in hia "Climate of Australasia" confirms the above, and in a tabulated report of some iceberg records in the Southern Ocean, October and November, 1903, refers to the captains of the Ruapehu and other vessels expressing surprise at meeting bergs co far north as an average of 45 Slat., and long. 100 E. The effect upon our climate is that the deep sea horizontal drift's deflected by submarine ridges into vertical currents, which reduce the temperature of the surface waters. We may therefore conclude in New Zealand that while the cold currents are arrested on our shores, the cold air borne on their surSace travels inward and increases precipitation on the land.—l am, etc., EDWIN MOSSMAN.