Abstract
THERE are only three factors which can affect the climatic zones of the world: (a) the amount of solar radiation; (b) the horizontal transfer of heat from one part of the earth to another; and (c) the characteristics of terrestrial radiation. If we examine each of these factors, we find that terrestrial radiation is not affected by the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and, while dust might affect it, there is no real evidence that changes in climate are correlated with volcanic activity. The horizontal transfer of heat could only be affected by changes in oceanic currents due to a redistribution of land and water; but a comparison of the temperature of corresponding zones in the northern and southern hemispheres shows that a climatic zone is little affected by the amount of land and sea which it contains. Small changes in solar radiation may produce appreciable effects on the climate, and a theoretical investigation shows that an increase in solar radiation is accompanied by:
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
SIMPSON, G. Past Climates. Nature 124, 988–991 (1929). https://doi.org/10.1038/124988a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/124988a0
This article is cited by
-
Radioaktivit�t und die thermische Geschichte der Erde
Die Naturwissenschaften (1931)