Flood, Drought and Ocean Winds

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 202, 11 September 1937, Page 16

Flood, Drought and Ocean Winds

» > * / NEW ORLEANS. Can floods and drouths be forecas't by storms and calms at sea? Since the clouds are filled from the oceans, since the meeting of the winds preeipitates moisture, and since wind movements originate over the broad sea areas, W. F. MeDonald, chief of the weather bureau in New Orleans, believes that from a thorough understanding of atmospherie mechanics, it may be possible to work out a formula. For moro than fivo years, he has been seeking the answer in the noon weather reports of captains of ships out of American ports, which observations are sent to the United States weather bureau in Washington. During the past "50 years, ever since these observa'tions have been taken tegularly, about 6,000,000 of these reports have been sent in, and these Mr. MeDonald is now analysing for their cause-and-effeet significance. He began tho study in Washington; and is now attacking the problem in a big way with tho .assistance of a large corps of researehers and compilers, under a WPA projeet. New Orleans, headquarters of the study, is the meeting place of hurricane and flood menaees. Drought touehes this seetion only indirectly, when the seanty precipita'tion in other parts of the Mississippi Valley so shrinks the Mississippi River' that the waters of the Gulf of Mexico flow upstream to New Orleans and even Baton Rouge, colouring the stream green, and introducing a degree of salinity tha't makes purification difficult and expensive. Many tons of the maritime observations have been sent to New Orleans Detail by detail, they are being analysed so that the computers can strike averages, over the 50-year period, for sections of about 90,000 squaro miles" each. For ceuturies, .the maritime world has known about trade winds, but only recently has knowledge of wind trends in the little travolled waters been available. Tho work with ocean records is now well advanced, says Mr. MeDonald, and out of this work is coming the material for au atlas of ocean climates. Average winds aro being portrayed in detail on monthly ckarts that show tho rainbearing wind streams. Gales, fogs, thunder storms and other conditicns of importance to ocean commerce appear graphically on the world charts now being produeed. The research also includes the rainfall and temperature data of the United States that has been aecumulating, during the past 30 years, from nearly 10,000 points. "Ocean charts," continues Mr. MeDonald, "may or may not determine tho causo of droughts and wet spells. We cannot make a positive statement until wo know much more about the oceans."

The studies should be also of immensa valuo to aviation, for Which wind trends in practically every paris of the world are now' being given an analytical study.