SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 



THE AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION 



The first annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union was 

 held on April 23, 1920, at the offices of the National Research Council. 

 At this meeting the permanent organization of this body was com- 

 pleted, amendments to its statutes were adopted, by-laws were enacted, 

 and officers of the Union were elected. Brief reports were submitted 

 by the American officers of the sections of the International Geodetic 

 and Geophysical Union describing the progress made in the organiza- 

 tion of the international sections. 



A brief exposition was given of the status and functions of the Ameri- 

 can Geophysical Union, on the one hand in relation to the parent 

 bodies, e. g., the International Research Council, the National Research 

 Council and the International Geodetic and Geophysical Union, and 

 on the other in relation to the branches of science embraced under the 

 term "geophysics" and specifically included in the sections of the 

 Union. 



For each of the Sections brief addresses were made by the chairmen, 

 setting forth in outline various problems of interest to the Sections. 

 These addresses constituted brief surveys of the research needs of the 

 various branches of geophysics. They will be prepared for publica- 

 tion and issued at a later date. 



Officers were elected to serve from July i, 1920, as follows : American 

 Geophysical Union — Chairman, William Bowie, for two years; Vice- 

 Chairman, L. A. Bauer, for two years; Secretary, H. O. Wood, for three 

 years. 



Sections : (a) Geodesy : Chairman, William Bowie ; Vice-Chairman, 

 J. F. Hayford; Secretary, H. O. Wood, {h) Seismology: Chairman, 

 H. F. Reid; Vice-Chairman, J. C. Branner; Secretary, H. O. Wood. 

 (f) Meteorology: Chairman, C. F. Marvin; Vice-Chairman, W. J. 

 Humphreys; Secretary, A. J. Henry, (d) Terrestrial Magnetism and 

 Electricity: Chairman, L. A. Bauer; Vice-Chairman, W. F. G. Swann; 

 Secretary, J. A. Fleming, (e) Physical Oceanography: Chairman, 

 G. W. LiTTLEHALES; Secretary, J. T. Watkins. (f) Volcanology: 

 Chairman, H. S. Washington; Vice-Chairman, R. A. £)aly; Secretary, 

 H. O. Wood. 



The Union authorized the formation of a new section, (g) Geophysical- 

 chemistry, covering researches in physics and chemistry as related to 

 the problems of the earth. H. O. W. 



notes 



The National Academy of Sciences has purchased the block bounded 

 by Twentieth, Twenty-first, B and C Streets, opposite the Lincoln 

 Memorial in Potomac Park, and will erect a building on the site as a 



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