IS THE EARTH DRYING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15518, 28 January 1914, Page 12

IS THE EARTH DRYING.

CONFLICTING EVIDENCE.

Is the earth drying up? was the subject of a paper read by Professor J W Gregory, Professor of Geology at Glasgow University, before the Royal Geographical Society recently.

Professor Gregory said that in recent years they had been often warned that one of those great climatic changes was now carrying the world, slowly and irresistibly toward world-wide drought. The view that the earth was becoming steadily and even alarmingly drier was advocated in a paper read to that society by Prince Kro potkin in 1904.

Referring to the three main forms of the theory that the world was becoming drier Professor Gregory quoted Mr. Rowland llnrlmere as saying that our spring and summer ' grow shorter and shorter year by year. The apricot tree, now slowly but surely disappearing from Central Europe is a proof of some great climatic change inexorably approaching. Chillier still they must become, until the period of maximum £°W » reached, probably about the year &XJO A.D.

Having analysed the dicta of Hie various authorities, the speaker remarked that the evidence from Northern and North-Western Europe gave no adequate proof of a decrease in the rainfall. Such evidence as he knew as to the conditions of the British climate in Roman times indicated that it was eßsenially the same as at present. That their summers had become colder had been frequently asserted from changes in the cultivation of the grape. The abandonment of the cultivation of the vine in England did-not imply any climatic change. It was adequately explained by the improvement ya. communications and the cheapness with, which fruit and wine could be brought to the northern markets. Owing to the varied nature of the evidenco and "the contradictory opinions expressed by high autTiOrities, Professor Gregory said in conclusion, the problem whether the earth was drying up was hedged about with difficulties. But one fact did seem to him to result clearly from the evidence: there had been many and world-wide climatic changes in late geologic times, while in historic times there had been no worldwide change of climate, " "*