PROOF BY RADIO

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 25, 6 January 1928, Page 2

PROOF BY RADIO

CONTINENTS NO’E DRIETING. Continents and islands are not drifting, as some scientists suppose, or, at least, there has been no drift during the last fifty years. About a year ago filty-five radio stalions in thirty countries participated with the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey in a world-wide check of longitude values. The above statement by William Bowie, chief of the division of geodesy of the survey, is ove of the preliminary conclusions as a result of the observations, According to Mr. Bowie, the longitude net also showed that there has been no spreading or contracting of the United States as a whole. RADIO MORE ACCURATE. "Longitudes in the United States were discovered many years ago by the use of land wires,’? says Mr. Bowie. ‘Not very long ago a comparison was made throngl use of radio. It was found that there has been no change greater than might have been expected. "It has been found that use of radio is more accurate in checking longitude values. Therefore, when we find a few slight differences in longitudes, as compared to fifty years ago, it does not necessarily mean that there has been a shifting about of places. "The accuracy with which longitude may be determined by radio is .01 of

wm le "ee. ee a second of time, corresponding to .15 degrees of arc, or corresponding in the latitude of New York to approximately 10 feet. . "Even with the most perfect instruments for observations on stars, it is scarcely possible to exceed this accuracy, for the light of stars coming through atmosphere is bent ont of its true direction. While this bending is | slight, it preyents absolute perfection in astronomical work. THE DRIFT THEORY. "Wegener believed that North and South America have been drifting westward of Europe and Africa. ‘This theory appeals to many students, especially those engaged in biological investigations. It is an easy explanation of the similarity of plant and animal life in countries thousands of miles separated. "Officials of the coast and geodetic survey have never held that the Wegener hypothesis was tenable, but withheld comment until longitude deter‘Mminations were made. "There is a small force exerted on any Continental mass, tending to make it drift toward the Equator. This is due to the fggt that Continents stand high, and have centres of gravity of equal masses of earth under the ocean. This tendency, together with the rotation of the earth, should make North and South America move southwest from Europe and Africa, EARTH IS SOLXD. "One of the great difficulties with the hypothesis is that the earth is solid to the core. This is proven by observations of ocean tides and the transmission of earthquake shocks through the earth to stations distant from the place where the earthquake occurred. "If the interior of the earth were liquid there would be no ocean tides. The liquid material would rise and fall just as does the ocean tide, and seismic waves could not be transmitted through a liquid medium. "The coast and geodetic survey has proved that the earth has a crust extending sixty miles below sea level,