Book contents
- Frontmatter
- NOTICE
- Contents
- INTRODUCTION
- BOOK I TERRESTRIAL ADAPTATIONS
- CHAP. I The Length of the Year
- CHAP. II The Length of the Day
- CHAP. III The Mass of the Earth
- CHAP. IV The Magnitude of the Ocean
- CHAP. V The Magnitude of the Atmosphere
- CHAP. VI The Constancy and Variety of Climates
- CHAP. VII The Variety of Organization corresponding to the Variety of climate
- CHAP. VIII The Constituents of Climate
- CHAP. IX The Laws of Heat with respect to Water
- CHAP. X The Laws of Heat with respect to Air
- CHAP. XI The Laws of Electricity
- CHAP. XII The Laws of Magnetism
- CHAP. XIII The Properties of Light with regard to Vegetation
- CHAP. XIV Sound
- CHAP. XV The Atmosphere
- CHAP. XVI Light
- CHAP. XVII The Ether
- CHAP. XVIII Recapitulation
- BOOK II COSMICAL ARRANGEMENTS
- BOOK III RELIGIOUS VIEWS
CHAP. VI - The Constancy and Variety of Climates
from BOOK I - TERRESTRIAL ADAPTATIONS
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2011
- Frontmatter
- NOTICE
- Contents
- INTRODUCTION
- BOOK I TERRESTRIAL ADAPTATIONS
- CHAP. I The Length of the Year
- CHAP. II The Length of the Day
- CHAP. III The Mass of the Earth
- CHAP. IV The Magnitude of the Ocean
- CHAP. V The Magnitude of the Atmosphere
- CHAP. VI The Constancy and Variety of Climates
- CHAP. VII The Variety of Organization corresponding to the Variety of climate
- CHAP. VIII The Constituents of Climate
- CHAP. IX The Laws of Heat with respect to Water
- CHAP. X The Laws of Heat with respect to Air
- CHAP. XI The Laws of Electricity
- CHAP. XII The Laws of Magnetism
- CHAP. XIII The Properties of Light with regard to Vegetation
- CHAP. XIV Sound
- CHAP. XV The Atmosphere
- CHAP. XVI Light
- CHAP. XVII The Ether
- CHAP. XVIII Recapitulation
- BOOK II COSMICAL ARRANGEMENTS
- BOOK III RELIGIOUS VIEWS
Summary
It is possible to conceive arrangements of our system, according to which all parts of the earth might have the same, or nearly the same, climate. If, for example, we suppose the earth to be a flat disk, or flat ring, like the ring of Saturn, revolving in its own plane as that does, each part of both the flat surfaces would have the same exposure to the sun, and the same temperature, so far as the sun's effect is concerned. There is no obvious reason why a planet of such a form might not be occupied by animals and vegetables, as well as our present earth; and on this supposition the climate would be every where the same, and the whole surface might be covered with life, without the necessity of there being any difference in the kind of inhabitants belonging to different parts.
Again, it is possible to conceive arrangements according to which no part of our planet should have any steady climate. This may probably be the case with a comet. If we suppose such a body, revolving round the sun in a very oblong ellipse, to be of small size and of a very high temperature, and therefore to cool rapidly; and if we suppose it also to be surrounded by a large atmosphere, composed of various gases; there would, on the surface of such a body, be no average climate or seasons for each place.
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009First published in: 1833