The Arctic Marine - 30.10.1941, Blaðsíða 2

2
THE ARCTIC MARINE
YOUR GUESS IS AS
GOOD AS MINE
Cold Facts.
(Continued from page 1)
about which there can be no
argument — the Equator, the
dividing line equally distant
from the North and South Poles.
Rut “Eastern” and “Western”
Hemispheres on the other hand,
may be any 180 degress of the
earth’s 360 degress of longitude,
depending on the meridian at
whicli th(e hemisphere-divider
of the nioment wishes to begin.
The entire conception of “East-
ern” and “Western” Hemisph-
eres had to be invented. It was
first proposed by map-makers
merely as a matter of conveni-
ence.
Most map-makers (seeking to
group the continents of the Old
World and New Worlds) have
accepted as the Atlantic bound-
ary line the 20th meridian west
of Greenwich, England. This
division puts Iceland on the
“fence”, since the arbitrarily
chosen meridian cuts through
it. (On the other side of the
world, tlie 160th meridian
which- is directly opposite the
20th, is still less satisfactory as
a hemisphere dividing line. It
cuts off more than 375,000
square miles of Siheria and puts
it ostensibly in tlie “Western”
Hemisphere).
For United States military
and naval forces operating in
and near Iceland, the island of-
fers striking geographic con-
trasts in the way of harbor
facilities, possible air hases, and
general tiving conditions.
The extremely irregutar line
of its northern, western and
eastern coasts appears from an
examination of the map to in-
ílicate excellent natural harhors;
but such harbors, formed by
deep, jagged — edged and islet
—- studded fjords, where, in
many places, bleak cliffs rise
precipitously from the water,
present difficult navagation pro-
blems.
On the southern shore, there
are no available harbors except
near the western end. In ttie
southeast, the few fjords have
been filled in by rocky debris
washed down by glacial waters.
These latter torrents, met by
heavy incoming surf, have been
so dammed as to form in spots,
a succession of small lakes or
ponds. The entire coastal line
of Iceland stretches for a di-
stance of around 3,700 miles.
Altho made up chiefly of
mountains and wind — swept
plateaus, Iceland lias some low-
lying regions representing
roughly 1—14th of the entire
area (of nearly 40,000 square
miles). These are found mostly
along the souttiern and south-
estern coasts. One such area of
level lands fans out from
Reykj avik. Thelargest single
stretch lies a little farther to the
southeast, overing about 1,500
square miles, or an area consi-
derably smaller tlian that of
little Delaware.
Iceland liasbeen called“aland
of frost and fire” because of its
snow-covered mountains en-
closing volcanic fires, and hot
springs pushing up through
glacial ice. The island presents
other curious contrasts. Despite
its location close to the Arctic
Circle, it has a climate milder
than tliat in many parts of Can-
ada and the United States. This
condition is due to the moderat-
ing effects of the Gulf Stream
which keeps Icelandic harbors
generally open for shipping.
Volcanic factors, too, such as
thermal springs, combine witli
the relatively moderate climate
to make for at least one ice-
free inland lake (Thingvalla)
where seaplane landings are
possible rnost of the year.
On the other hand, the warm-
ing influence of the Gulf Stream
is somewhat offset by polar
currents and tlie ice drifts which
in late winter and spring chill
the air and often block north-
west harbors.
As a part of the arctic and
near — Arctic regions, Iceland
also comes with — in range of
tlie phneomenon of the “mid-
night sun”. In mid-summer day-
light lasts in the southern
reaches of the island for 20
liours. In the north, around the
time of the summer solstice
(June 14—21), the sun does not
set for a week.
Personals
Having left our bed and
board, we will no longer be re-
sponsible for Lt. Schoettel.
The Tank Company.
Do you awaken with a fit and
a start? Try Dr. Mc. Kenny’s
Purple Pills for Pale People.
Guaranteed to cure any ailment
of the human body. See your
local pill dispenser.
Alcoholism Conquered!!!
Safe, proven method; a vaca-
tion in Iceland will do the job.
Are vour wires crossed? See
Wedin & Brabham. If your ra-
dio works, don’t bring it lo us.
The Northern Lights or Au-
rora Borelais are, defined by
Webster, “A luminous meteoric
phenomenon manfesting itself
by streams of light ascending
from the northern horizon, to-
wards the zenith, or assuming
the form of an arc having its
ends on the horizons.” Science,
of course , has many theories,
one of which seems to be the
most logical to us.
The theory compares this
phenomenon of light with tliat
of a neon tube. It is assumed
that as th® earth turns upon its
axis, on which the poles lie, it
brings togetlier quantities of the
rare gases whicli constitute a
minute part of the atmo-
sphere. The neon gas included
in the rare gases is utilized to
cause the light. This quantity of
neon gas is in a partial vacuum
in te stratosphere where the
pressure is many times less than
the atmospheric pressure at sea
level. This vacuum containing
neon gas is tbus compared to
the neon tube.
Now the neon gas itself does
not burn under the above con-
ditions. It is known that the
molecules break into many min-
ute paricles called ions. The en-
ergy produced by the braking
down of molecules into ions
gives the ions a luminous effect
caused by heat. The ions are
broken from the molecules by
negatively charged bodies called
electrons. In the neon tube el-
ectrons are set in motion by an
electric current of high voltage.
In our case, however, the elect-
rons are from the cosmic rays;
thus, the cosmic rays set in mo-
tion electrons which in turn
cause ions to be discharged
from the molecules which in
turn emit light. The other rare
gases in the vacuum with the
neon and the altitude give the
blue-white light of the North-
ern Lights.
Further proof of the theory
can be found by using a spectro-
scope, an instrument which di-
vides light into the series of col-
ors which forms it as does rain-
bow. When looking at the
Northern Lights through a
spectroscope there can be seen
a spectrum which is formed by
neon when excited by cosmic
rays. This proves that neon is
present at the source of light.
Pfc. Frederick A. Roetter.