has been derived in geology, geophysics, and geo- 

 chemistry over the past century, but the maximum 

 rate of growth of such comprehension has un- 

 doubtedly occurred during the past decade. 



Basic research in the earth sciences has taken 

 advantage of substantial new technological 

 achievements, such as the dynamic positioning of 

 a drilling vessel, which is the basic tool employed 

 in the ocean sediment coring program. Drilling in 

 the deep oceans has provided a wealth of basic 

 research contributions. Thus, a continual inter- 

 change between basic research needs and 

 technological developments characterizes research 

 in the earth sciences. 



Examples of significant basic research support. 

 Two fields of research in geochemistry (experi- 

 mental petrology and field and isotopic studies of 

 rocks) have yielded particularly impressive basic 

 scientific dividends during the past decade. 



• Experimental petrology. To understand the 

 origin of rocks other than sediments, which 

 constitute the crystalline part of the earth's 

 crust, much effort has been in projects sup- 

 ported at several of our major universities. 

 Examples are: 



EAR 7620413, "Experimental Studies on (he Origin of Plutonic- 

 Igneous Rock Series"; 



EAR 7620410, "Petrogenetic Links between Carbonatites and 

 Kimberlites"; 



EAR 7300266, "The Role of COi in Generation of Basalt in the 

 Upper Mantle"; 



EAR 7422501, "Determination of Elastic Constants by Brillouin 

 Scattering up to 100 kbar in a Diamond Anvil Cell." 



Some of the most important papers recently 

 published are: 



Wyllie, P. J. (1966). Experimental studies of carbonatite prob- 

 lems: the origin and differentiation of carbonatite magmas in 

 "The Carbonatites," p. 311-352. O. F. Tuttle and J. Gitlens. 

 Eds. J. Wiley and Sons. 



Huang, W. L. and P. J. Wyllie (1975). The influence of mantle 

 COt in the generation of carbonatites and kimberlites: Nature, 



257" 297-299. 



Ming, L. C. and W. A. Bassett (1975). Decomposition of Fe- 

 Si03 into FeO and SIOt under very high pressure and high 

 temperature, Enrlh and Planetary Science Letters. 25. 66-70. 



• Field and isotopic studies of rocks. The Divi- 

 sion of Earth Sciences has long supported 

 studies of isotopic measurements of rocks, 

 which are essential to understanding the age 

 and responses to various sources of physical 

 and chemical change in rocks. Examples are: 



DES7424199, "Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotope Studies of Rocks 

 and Minerals." 



EAR7623153, "Field and Isotopic Studies of the Older Geologic 

 History of the Southwestern Margin of North America." 



Some of the more important publications in this 

 field include: 



Taylor, H. P. (1973). O'^'/O"' evidence for meteoric-hydrother- 

 mal alteration in the Tonopah. Comstock Lode, and Goldfield 

 mining districts, Nevada, Econ. Geol.. 67,227-242. 



Silver, L. T.. C. R. McKinney, S. Deutsch, and J. Bolinger 

 (1968). Uranium-lead isotopic variations in zircons: A case 

 study: Jour. Geol.. 77,721-758. 



• The geophysics program of the Division sup- 

 ports a wide range of basic research involving 

 the physical properties and dynamics of the 

 planet. Examples of the most significant pub- 

 lications are: 



Isacks. B. and Sykes, L. R. (1968). Seismology and the new 

 global tectonics. Journal of Geophysical Research, 73. 5855- 

 5899. 



Isacks, B. and Sykes. L. (1969). Focal mechanisms of deep and 

 shallow earthquakes in the Tonga- Kermadek region and the 

 tectonics of island arcs. Bulletin of Geol. Soc. of Am., 80, 

 1443-1469. 



Molner, P. (1969). Lateral variations of attenuation in the upper 

 mantle and discontinuities in the lithosphere. Journal of Geo- 

 physical Research, 74. 2648-2682. 



• Geology, which is the parent science in the 

 Division of Earth Sciences, has played a con- 

 tinuous role during the past decade of scien- 

 tific advances, although the recent spectacular 

 successes have been more readily identified 

 with geophysics and geochemistry. Recently, 

 however, the geology program has 

 contributed significantly by its support of the 

 study of "ophiolites," which are portions of 

 the deep sea floor that have been emplaced on 

 the present continents by the process of ob- 

 duction (tectonic overlayment), and related 

 studies of mountain belt distributions result- 

 ing from the collision of continents and the 

 ocean floor. Examples are: 



DES 7306591, "Detailed Study of Portions of the Vourinos 

 Ophiolite Complex, Greece" 



DES 7201471. "Ophiolite Complexes and Related Rocks in the 

 Northern Appalachians." 



Among the most important publications in the 

 general area are: 



Dewey, J. F., and Bird, J. M. (1970). Mountain belts and the 

 new global tectonics. /ot;r. Geophysical Res., 75,2625-2647. 



Morgan, W. J. (1968). Rises, trenches, great faults, and crustal 

 blocks. Jour. Geophysical Res.. 73. 1959-1982. 



• Since 1968, NSF has supported the Deep Sea 

 Drilling Program (DSDP) (Scripps Institution 

 of Oceanography). The Joint Institutions for 

 Deep Earth Sampling (JOIDES) provides sci- 



NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 1 99 



