Page:The Journal of geology (IA journalofgeology21894univers).pdf/456
The announcement, made some months ago, that Prof. Davis was about to publish a work on meteorology, was hailed with satisfaction by all those interested in this branch of natural science. The book, which has recently been issued by Ginn & Co., presents the condensed results of the author's reading, observation, and teaching during the last fifteen years. Since it has been prepared by one who is not only eminent as an original investigator, but also as an experienced teacher, it is scientific in its treatment, fully in accord with the latest advances in meteorology, and, at the same time, well fitted for the use of college students of the more advanced years. In so far as the experience of the writer goes, this book would seem to be better adapted to the abilities of juniors and seniors of the majority of our colleges than to the "later years of a high-school course, or the earlier years of a college course," as the author suggests in the preface.
The plan of the book is stated by the author at the outset, as follows: "The origin and uses of the atmosphere are first considered, with its extent and arrangement around the earth. Then, as the winds depend on differences of temperature over the world, the control of the temperature of the atmosphere by the sun is discussed, and the actual distribution and variations of temperature are examined. Next follows an account of the motions of the atmosphere in the general and local winds; in the steady trades of the torrid zone, and in the variable westerly winds of our latitudes. The moisture of the atmosphere is then studied with regard to its origin, its distribution, and its condensation into dew, frost, and clouds. After this, we are led to the discussion of those more or less frequent disturbances, which we place together under the name of storms; some of them being large, like the great cyclones or areas of low pressure on our weather maps; some of them very small, like the destructive tornadoes. The effect of these storms and of other processes in the precipitation of moisture as rain, snow, and hail is next considered. Closing chapters are then given to the succession of atmospheric phenomena that ordinarily follow one another, on which our local variations of weather depend, together with some account of weather prediction; and another on