South America is, perhaps, more intimately concerned than any other
country, but Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa are all affected
by the weather conditions of the Antarctic. Researches are now being
carried on which tend to show that the meteorology of the two
hemispheres is more interdependent than was hitherto believed, so that
a meteorological disturbance in one part of the world makes its
presence felt, more or less remotely perhaps, all over the world.
It is evident, therefore, that a complete knowledge of the weather
conditions in any part of the world, which it is understood carries
with it the ability to make correct forecasts, can never be obtained
unless the weather conditions in every other part are known. This
makes the need for purely scientific Polar Expeditions so imperative,
since our present knowledge of Arctic and Antarctic meteorology is very
meagre, and to a certain extent unsystematic. What is wanted is a
chain of observing stations well equipped with instruments and trained
observers stretching across the Antarctic Continent. A series of
exploring ships could supplement these observations with others made by
them while cruising in the Antarctic Seas. It would pay to do this,
even for the benefit accruing to farmers, sailors, and others who are
so dependent on the weather.
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