TROPICAL POLES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 467, 27 March 1909, Page 5

TROPICAL POLES.

, ,MR. WRAGGE'S DEDUCTIONS. (m wiEOßArn—rnsss association.) Auckland, March 26. "I read Professor David's report' of ._ the geological results of the Antarctic expedition with great interest," said Mr. Clement Wragge tea reporter this afternoon, "and . jfrom the reports to hand I think, that he has arrived at,perfectly accurate conclusions with'respect to'the high plateau existing at the South Pole and over the whole immediate regions surrounding the' Pole/ I am most ''especially interested in' reading "that coal measures,iand,-thick.-.measures ; of limestone <v Tiave b'een'' 'discovered' there; Of-course, it proves conclusively that tho. inclination of the axis of this "earth' to _ the plane of its orbit was not always what it is now, namely, about two-thirds of .a right angle, but that in :ages past it has varied considerably, and far _ more v than .astronomers have hitherto . imagined, perhaps even almost through ninety .degrees.' Thus there may: have been a time when the axis of' this earth was nearly perpendicular to the plane of its orbit, and another time when the earth's axis was nearly horizontal thereto, and these far before the advent of roan; and if we accept these latter conditions, there ;wpuld, there- ■'" fore, have been a time when tropical or semitropical areas would have existed not only around the Antwctio circle, but also aroirad the Arctio circle. ." "The variations in climatic zones of the • planets of our solar system, generally are determined by the degrees of inclination of their axis to the plane of their orbits." 'The scientist rose, lighted a candle, pro- ■ duced'a pear, hunted up a hatpin t and, placing the candle in the centre of an imaginary orbit, gave excellent illustrations of his ■ contentions; : and showed that when . the earth's axis was perpendicular to the "plane of its orbit there was no change of season, and when it was horizontal thereto there were extreme seasons.