Klimatographie von Österreich

Abstract

THIS volume forms part iv. of the valuable handbook on the climatology of Austria which is being issued by the Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik of Vienna. It deals with the Tyrol and Vorarlberg, and has been prepared by Dr. H. v. Ficker with the cooperation, in the botanical and zoological part, of Prof. von Dalla Torre. The region under discussion is one of special interest by reason of the great contrasts which it presents. The North Tyrol is formed by the valley of the Inn and its tributaries. Here we have a long valley running east and west, and protected both to north and to south by high mountains. Föhn winds are frequent, and have a decided effect in raising the mean temperature. As a result many flora and fauna which are characteristic of more southern latitudes manage to persist. In the South Tyrol the main valleys, Etsch and Eisach, run from north to south. To the north they are protected by the central Alpine range, but to the south they are freely open to the plain of the Po. The Pustertal, running west to east, forms a region by itself. It is freely exposed to winds from the east, which have a decided influence in lowering the winter temperature. Finally, in Vorarlberg we have again a different arrangement. The valleys slope down to the northwest towards Lake Constance. This fact has an important influence on the climate, as the prevailing wind over this part of Europe is from north-west. The climatological data are discussed on the lines suggested by Harm in his “Lehrbuch der Klimatologie,” which have been followed also in the previous volumes of the series. The peculiarities of each region are clearly set out and contrasted with one another.

Klimatographie von Asterreich.

Part IV. Tirol und Vorarlberg. By Dr. H. V. Ficker. Pp. vi + 162. (Vienna: Gerold und Komp, 1909.)