The River Elbe

Abstract

IN NATURE, vol. xiv. p. 498, some particulars are given of measurements made in 1871 and 1872 of the water flowing past in the Elbe at the boundary between Saxony and Bohemia. The river basin in Bohemia above this point is stated at 880 square miles, which is evidently wrong, as the annual discharge of 6,179,000,000 cubic metres (218,223,743,000 cubic feet) would give a depth of 107.64 inches run off the ground. Measuring roughly on the map, the area of Bohemia—which, apparently, all drains into the Elbe—is 20,000 English square miles. If, on the other hand, the measurements of the river water and the solids in solution and suspension are correctly given, and the river basin is 20,000 square miles, the rainfall must have been exceptionally low at the time the measurements were taken, as the figures represent only about half that of the mean annual flow off the ground in the Danube basin, which is 9.06 inches. Perhaps the writer of the notice will be able to find out how these discrepancies occur. I may add that, taking the figures as given m NATURE, 607 tons per square mile per annum are removed in solution in the Elbe water. From a district composed mostly of silurian this is manifestly absurd. According to my calculation,¹ 72.7 tons per square mile are arnnually removed in solutlon in the Danube water.