A History of Prevailing Ideas about the General Circulation of the Atmosphere.
Abstract During the past three centuries. the prevailing ideas about the general circulation of the earth's atmosphere have evolved in a stepwise manner. Early in each step, a new theoretical idea is formulated. Late in each step, the idea gains general acceptance, but, more or less concurrently, new observations show that the idea is wrong. An account of three steps and part of a fourth is presented.