44 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION 



APPENDIX 1 TO REPORT OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE 



ON GEOPHYSICS. 



.PROJECT FOR A GEOPHYSICAL LABORATORY. 



By George F. Becker. 



Contents. 



Part I. — OuTr,iNE of Geophysicai, Research. 



Page. 



1 . Scope of the undertaking 44 



2. Some of the problems of geophysics 45 



3. Necessity for organized research in geophysics 47 



4. Personnel required 48 



5. General features of plant 49 



6. vScientific staff 49 



7. Clerical staff and mechanics 51 



8. Estimate for plant 51 



9. Maintenance 51 



10. Summary of estimates 52 



11. Organization 52 



Part II.— Pi,ant Required. 



12. Situation desired 53 



13. General character of laboratory building 55 



14. Floor space required 56 



15. Special construction of building 56 



16. Necessity for special power house 57 



17. Summary 57 



Part I. Outline of Geophysical Research. 



/. Scope of the render taking . — The purpose of a geophysical labor- 

 atory is to supply a firm scientific foundation for the study of the past 

 history and the present condition of the earth. The researches in 

 such a laboratory can consist only in part in the application of 

 known theories to terrestrial problems, because in man}^ most im- 

 portant cases the theoretical basis is imperfect or altogether wanting. 



Geophysics covers a distinct group of problems which are so closely 

 related to one another in their nature and in the methods applicable 

 to their solution as to stand somewhat apart from general physics. 

 These problems demand for their successful solution simultaneous 

 study and the carefully organized co-operation of a number of 

 investigators over a series of years. 



It is because these conditions have hitherto been lacking that 

 so much remains to be done in this direction. 



