• Solar-terrestrial relations is another important 

 area of research, especially since the apparent 

 variations of solar activity may have a possi- 

 ble connection with climate and weather. At 

 this point, only correlative information is 

 available; however, with observations from 

 the IMS and an increasing interest by compe- 

 tent scientists, progress should be made in the 

 next five years. An important article on the 

 subject is: 



Eddy, John A. ( 1975): The solar constant and the earth's atmos- 

 phere. Proceedings of the Workshop. Big Bear Solar Observa- 

 tory, 98. 



Current and future research. The NSF's current 

 support of atmospheric science focuses on five 

 research areas: 



• Mesoscale meteorology including GATE 

 analyses 



• Development of a complete paleoclimate re- 

 cord 



• Measurement of winds by incoherent scatter 

 radar 



• Studies of the magnetosphere during the IMS 



• Use of the newly developed millimeter wave 

 radiometer to study profiles of minor species 

 up to 80 km. 



Over the next 3 years, FGGE (first GARP global 

 experiment) and MONEX (monsoon experiment) 

 analyses, mesoscale meteorology, atmospheric 

 chemistry, IMS analyses, and studies of solar ac- 

 tivity and solar terrestrial relations will emerge as 

 major areas of research support. 



Over the next 10 years, requirements for re- 

 search on mesoscale meteorology will lead to a 

 severe-storm and mesoscale experiment. In addi- 

 tion, climate studies and a magnetic cleft observa- 

 tory to study the magnetic cusp will serve as the 

 focal point for Foundation support. The magnetic 

 cleft is a singular region of the magnetosphere at 

 which the solar wind has direct access to Earth's 

 atmosphere: it provides a unique environment for 

 plasma physics studies, and for studies of the im- 

 pact of energy deposition on the earth's atmos- 

 phere. The rate of deposition is sufficiently great 

 that it is believed to be of significance to global 

 scale atmospheric behavior. 



Interagency coordination. Atmospheric sciences 

 research has perhaps the best coordination 

 mechanisms within the Federal Government. There 

 are interagency committees that offer a forum for 

 discussions of agency projects, national needs, and 

 support of international programs. These inter- 

 agency committees and the establishment of 

 interagency project offices to carry out the tasks of 

 various projects are the substance of the interagen- 

 cy consultation and coordination. These mecha- 



1 98 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 



nisms apply also to basic research projects, ap- 

 plied research, and meteorological services. 



International research. The Division of Atmos- 

 pheric Sciences plans to continue to support pro- 

 jects in foreign countries. There are some in- 

 stances where the only way that the work can be 

 done is to have it supported outside the United 

 States. International cooperative science programs 

 are a major part of this Division's research sup- 

 port. These efforts have been successful because 

 of the cooperative interaction between representa- 

 tives of various countries and the fact that there 

 have been effective international planning efforts. 

 The biggest problems are usually political, and 

 they have no real bearing on the science itself. 

 Unfortunately, political aspects sometimes are 

 determining. In future years, political aspects will 

 become more important factors in atmospheric 

 sciences programs, such as climate, because the 

 results have an interaction with political, econom- 

 ic, and social problems. 



Division of Earth Sciences 



Goals and objectives. Research in the earth sci- 

 ences is designed to increase man's understanding 

 of the solid earth. Geology is currently undergoing 

 a major revolution. Terms such as "sea-floor 

 spreading," "global tectonics," and "plate 

 tectonics," are now established. They refer to the 

 components in a working model that account for 

 most of the earth's major features and provide the 

 means of focus on concepts that result in efficient 

 study of the forces that slowly but continually 

 change our planet. These forces result in earth- 

 quakes, volcanoes, mineral deposits, and sources 

 of energy. 



The plate tectonics model must be tested to de- 

 fine its limitations. Such activity is the main focus 

 of the International Geodynamics Project (IGP), 

 an effort involving scientists from some 45 nations. 

 This project will terminate in 1979. Its successor is 

 likely to be an international project that will 

 concentrate on problems involving continental-to- 

 oceanic-crust transitions. Meanwhile, the earth 

 sciences program is continuing its support of pro- 

 jects associated with the IGP while phasing in 

 some support for the initial research and planning 

 needed for its successor. 



Fulfilling maximum prospects of developing the 

 resources of the planet requires a thorough under- 

 standing of the natural mechanisms that lead to the 

 creation and concentration of ores and hydrocar- 

 bons. The prediction of natural hazards and their 

 possible mitigation by artifical means similarly 

 require that the underlying natural controlling 

 forces be understood. Virtually all scientific meth- 

 ods employed in prospecting for economic depos- 

 its are based on the scientific understanding that 



