Abstract
EVERY meteorologist will be most glad to possess this very valuable work on the distribution of rainfall over the earth's surface. Dr. Herbertson seems to have spared no pains to utilise all the available material, and the result is that he is able to present us with rainfall maps for every month in the year, giving not only the seasonal distribution of rain, but a knowledge of the actual amount. Each map is accompanied by general remarks as to the position of the pressure belts, wind systems, and other useful information which are fundamental in studying the weather from month to month. Further, a map, with descriptions, &c., is given, illustrating the mean annual rainfall over the land surface. The book includes also a very useful set of curves showing the monthly distribution of rainfall in percentages of the annual fall for seventy-four selected stations. From these it can be seen at a glance whether a station receives the majority of its rainfall at one period of the year, such as Bombay, Pekin, Bathurst, &c., or whether there are two periods of rainfall each year, as at Colombo, Lagos, Peshawar, &c. The importance of keeping separate the rainfall that is received at one place during a year at the two monsoons and not combining them when there happen to be two periods of rainfall is of fundamental importance at the present day, and the volume before us will help to show when the yearly mean alone may be used.
The Distribution of Rainfall over the Land.
By Andrew J. Herbertson With 13 maps and a plate. (London: John Murray, 1901.)
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
The Distribution of Rainfall over the Land . Nature 64, 423 (1901). https://doi.org/10.1038/064423a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/064423a0