Sunspots & Drought

As the sun revolved in its 25-day cycle, the beam of the vast sunspot which erupted from its surface (photosphere) late in July was again to touch the earth this week. At that time the spot was 33,000 miles long by 20,000 miles wide. On earth, it caused severe magnetic storms which affected electric light and power services, confused telegraphs, telephones, radio.

This sunspot may have something to do with the drought which the past fortnight has afflicted U. S. farmers, restricted the water supplies of many communities (TIME, Aug 12), made tinder for forest fires. Sunspots become active in regular 11-year cycles. Although the present cycle was at its top in 1928, its 1929 decline has been little, according to measurements at the special solar observatories in southern California, Chile, South Africa. But although the earth is now getting more sun heat than normal, that is probably not the whole cause of the 1929 drought. More direct causes were, as students of government weather reports know,* light snows last winter, early thaws last spring, winds carrying water vapor away from the coasts instead of inland.

* This summer the Brooklyn Eagle revived the oldtime newspaper practice of printing daily weather maps, less for agriculture than for flying. The feature was popular. The Eagle has been flooded with requests for copies of maps. The New York Evening Post and other large newspapers have followed the Eagle's lead, found weather maps good circulation-getters.