Congressional Edition Volume 5818 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910 Excerpt: ...direction, the result being that the steam cloud in this region was dragged over powerfully toward the southeast. On such occasions one usually saw evidence of two high-level currents, the one coming from a northerly direction, its under limit being about 15,000 feet above sea level, and the other, or middle current, from a southerly quarter, usually blowing toward the east-northeast, having its upper limit at 15,000 feet normally, while its lower limit was between 6,000 and 7,000 feet above sea level. While these two currents were blowing strongly, there would frequently be a surface current blowing gently from the north. This would bring up very dense masses of cumulus cloud from off Ross Sea. The cumulus would drift up to the 6,000 or 7,000 feet level on the northwest slopes of Erebus, and then the tops of the cumulus would be cut off by the lower edge of the northward-flowing middle current. Wisps of fleecy cloud would be swept along to the east-northeast, torn from the tops of these cumulus clouds by the middle current. Our observations showed that during blizzards the whole atmosphere from sea level up to at least 11,000 feet moves near Cape Royds from southeast to northwest, and the speed of movement is from 40 up to over 60 miles an hour. After and during the blizzard the middle air current, normally blowing from the west-southwest, is temporarily abolished, being absorbed by the immense outrushing air stream of the southeast blizzard. During a blizzard the air was generally so thick with snow that we were unable to see the top of Erebus. At the end of a blizzard the air current over Erebus became suddenly reversed, the steam cloud swinging round from the south to the north. After a time, following on the conclusion of a blizzard, a high-level curre...