Jet stream

[Roundway]

I am currently researching a non-technical history of what is now known as the 'jet stream'. Please bear with me.

The term itself first appeared in 1947 in a collaborative paper written by meteorologists, led by Carl-Gustaf Rossby, at Chicago University. However, in 1939 a German meteorologist, Dr Heinrich Seilkopf, had published a book which included a description of what is now known as the jet stream, but he called it Strahlströmung. Today the word translates in English as 'jet flow' but what I would like to determine is would there have been an alternative translation in 1939?

I am reasonably confident that Rossby would have been familiar with Seilkopf's work and possibly followed his lead.

A bit off the beaten track, but I would appreciate any advice.

Brian

[edwest2]

Brian,

Go to Google and type in "The Jet Stream" and DTIC

[Roundway]

Thank you Ed, much appreciated and I'm grateful. I know what the jet stream is, in fact the phenomenon was identified by an English clergyman, William Clement Ley, in a series of articles during the 1870s (true, I promise you), but that's part of my research. My real interest is in the actual translation of Seilkopf's "Strahlströmung". Today that translates as "jet flow aka stream", but a 1939 handwritten translation in the (British) Meteorological Office archives uses the words "radiant flow", not once but several times. I cannot for the life of me understand where "radiant" comes from and my post was an attempt to find if "Strahlströmung" had a different meaning at that time.

I've no doubt that the Chicago meteorologists were aware of Seilkopf's work, and perhaps should have acknowledged that was the source of their term "jet stream".

I think the claim that American pilots flying over Japan 'discovered' the jet stream (https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/AD0036014.pdf from your suggestion) is rather stretching it, as there are several accounts of both USAAF and RAF crews encountering jet streams over the continent prior to those flights.

Brian

[Nick Beale]

To me, jet stream seems a perfectly reasonable translation of Strahlströmung. Stream and Strom obviously have a common ancestry.

Strahl was used by the Germans in connection with jet aircraft but is also the word for a ray or beam. Sonnenstrahl is a sunbeam, for example.

Lots of words have many possible translations and (unlike language exams at school) I think it’s less about one right answer than finding something that fits the context and intention of the original. AFAIK the jetstream flows in a direction rather than radiates all round, and in English a jet is directional (e.g. a jet of water).

So while “radiant flow” could be a legitimate dictionary translation of Strahlströmung it doesn’t seem to fit what’s being described in this case.

[Roundway]

Nick, thank you. That helps me understand the word perfectly, and gives more credence to my thinking that the American team 'lifted' their name for the phenomena from Seilkopf.

Brian

[Roundway]

Adriano,

I'm unable to reply to your PM as your PM box is full.

Brian

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Brian,
Sorry about that.
You can answer me via PM or directly at:
baumgartner_asv@yahoo.com.br

A very nice thread and interesting subject...I wonder if with those climate changes the main jet streams areas around the Globe have changed shape and intensity. It has been quite a time that I have not flown as a passenger on jets...but I do remember passing through CAT associated with Jet Streams quite often....

Semper Fi

Adriano