Volcanic Dust in the Atmosphere.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 9 October 1914, Page 8

Volcanic Dust in the Atmosphere.

From many points in America and Europe come reports of an unusual turpidity of the atmosphere, wfaich began last summer and still continues. This is manifested 'in a marked diminution of the intensity of solar radiation, as measured with the phrheliometer, abnormal displacement of the neutral points of atmosphoric polarisation, a hazy appearance of the sky, and the presence of Bishop's ring around the sun. From Dublin Sir John Moore wrote : "The sky is constantly covered with a thin film of uniform cloud in which no haloes develop, and through which the sun, moon, and stars shine with a subdued, sickly brightness." Observers in Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, and Germany, as well as America, report an unusual lack oi blueness in^, the sky. There seems to be ev<<^^reason to attribute these phenomena to the presence in the upper atmosphere of an immense pall of dust arising from the explosive eruption of Katmai volcano, in Alaska. Similar effects were observed after the eruptions y jsif" Krakatoa and Mont Pele, and in those cases lasted for some years.