﻿MAR. 
  4, 
  1922 
  PARIS 
  : 
  some 
  problems 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  129 
  

  

  Obsen^ations 
  for 
  the 
  determination 
  of 
  intensity 
  of 
  gravity 
  have 
  been 
  

   made 
  at 
  sea 
  by 
  several 
  types 
  of 
  apparatus, 
  but 
  the 
  accuracy 
  of 
  these 
  

   observations 
  has 
  only 
  been 
  sufficient 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  intensity 
  of 
  

   gravity 
  under 
  ocean 
  areas 
  followed 
  closely 
  the 
  laws 
  of 
  change 
  of 
  gravity 
  

   with 
  latitudes 
  that 
  are 
  found 
  to 
  obtain 
  over 
  land 
  areas, 
  but 
  the 
  ob- 
  

   ser\''ations 
  are 
  not 
  accurate 
  enough 
  to 
  test 
  the 
  isostatic 
  condition 
  of 
  

   the 
  ocean 
  basins. 
  

  

  Some 
  modification 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  instruments 
  and 
  correspond- 
  

   ing 
  change 
  of 
  method 
  of 
  observation 
  are 
  needed, 
  or 
  possibly 
  some 
  in- 
  

   strument 
  devised 
  along 
  entirely 
  new 
  lines 
  from 
  those 
  heretofore 
  

   employed 
  finally 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  necessary 
  to 
  get 
  the 
  accuracy 
  required. 
  

  

  The 
  solution 
  of 
  this 
  problem 
  is 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  prime 
  importance 
  to 
  

   geologists 
  and 
  geophysicists 
  in 
  many 
  of 
  their 
  studies. 
  

  

  Meteorological 
  observations. 
  — 
  To 
  know 
  the 
  state 
  of 
  the 
  weather 
  in 
  

   advance 
  of 
  its 
  occurrence 
  is 
  an 
  important 
  matter 
  to 
  us 
  whether 
  we 
  

   be 
  on 
  land 
  or 
  sea, 
  and 
  the 
  economic 
  value 
  of 
  such 
  information 
  is 
  well 
  

   known. 
  In 
  fact 
  a 
  foreknowledge 
  of 
  the 
  weather 
  has 
  had 
  such 
  an 
  im- 
  

   mediate 
  economic 
  value 
  that 
  the 
  practical 
  side 
  of 
  meteorology 
  has 
  de- 
  

   veloped 
  to 
  a 
  greater 
  degree 
  than 
  the 
  theoretical 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  problem.*^ 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  much 
  less 
  meteorological 
  observational 
  data 
  over 
  ocean 
  

   areas 
  than 
  for 
  the 
  land 
  areas, 
  though 
  the 
  ocean 
  areas 
  are 
  of 
  much 
  

   greater 
  extent. 
  The 
  gathering 
  of 
  meteorological 
  data 
  more 
  completely 
  

   over 
  the 
  regions 
  of 
  the 
  oceans 
  is 
  an 
  important 
  problem 
  of 
  the 
  sea, 
  

   and 
  for 
  us 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  Pacific 
  Ocean 
  and 
  Bering 
  Sea. 
  In 
  this 
  

   all 
  ships 
  that 
  traverse 
  the 
  oceans 
  can 
  also 
  continue 
  to 
  render 
  valuable 
  

   service, 
  by 
  making 
  meteorological 
  observations, 
  reporting 
  them 
  by 
  

   radio, 
  and 
  following 
  with 
  full 
  reports 
  by 
  mail. 
  

  

  The 
  need 
  for 
  much 
  more 
  ocean 
  meteorological 
  data 
  is 
  plain, 
  and 
  

   their 
  scientific 
  and 
  practical 
  value 
  so 
  evident 
  that 
  no 
  opportunity 
  

   for 
  obtaining 
  them 
  should 
  be 
  disregarded. 
  

  

  Another 
  problem 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  promising 
  importance 
  is 
  the 
  obser- 
  

   vation 
  of 
  the 
  tides 
  and 
  their 
  correlation 
  with 
  the 
  paths 
  of 
  approaching 
  

   hurricanes.'^ 
  

  

  Ocean 
  temperatures. 
  — 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  striking 
  deficiencies 
  in 
  our 
  

   knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  physical 
  facts 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  ocean 
  temperatures. 
  

   In 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  vast 
  Pacific 
  Ocean, 
  for 
  example, 
  there 
  are 
  only 
  

   something 
  like 
  seven 
  hundred 
  lines 
  of 
  temperature 
  observations,^ 
  by 
  

  

  6 
  Proc. 
  Nat. 
  Acad. 
  Sci. 
  6: 
  561. 
  

  

  ' 
  Science 
  52: 
  638-639. 
  Dec. 
  31, 
  1920. 
  

  

  * 
  Annalen 
  der 
  Hydrographie, 
  38: 
  5. 
  1910. 
  

  

  