OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 45 



Mr. Miller. You are really a Nebraskan, Admiral ? 



Admiral Ivaro. That is right. 



Mr. Miller. We had a colleague on this committee some years ago 

 who made those older members Nebraska admirals, so we will welcome 

 you. 



Admiral Karo. I am an admiral in my own right. 



Nebraska has never honored me that way, sir. Maybe it is because 

 I do go to sea. 



Mr. Miller. I will guarantee you that our commissions which may 

 not have the depth that yours has are much more beautiful than 

 anything you have ever had. 



Admiral IL^ro. Thank you, sir. 



I have this prepared statement from which I would like to speak, 

 sir. 



I greatly appreciate the invitation to appear before you today — to 

 assist you in whatever way I can. For the subject of oceanography 

 is one which has been studied and given deep and serious considera- 

 tion by the Coast and Geodetic Survey for over a century and a quar- 

 ter. Certain phases of oceanography form an integral part of hydro- 

 graphic surveying. In the process of our hydrographic surveys and 

 investigations we make many oceanographic observations and studies, 

 some of which have ultimately led to significant discoveries and uses 

 of far-reaching importance. 



Strange as it may seem, lack of infonnation concerning the oceans 

 or the science dealing with the earth's water mantle, has been both 

 a hindrance and a motivating force concerning man's relationship 

 with the seas and his desire to conquer them. To the timid or weak 

 man, the unknown facets of oceanography have appeared as barriers 

 to progress or exploration, but to the strong and daring with a desire 

 for knowledge these mysteries of the great water frontiers of the 

 world not only appeared as a challenge to his progress, but also as 

 another facet of nature that must be subdued in the course of 

 exploration. 



The ocean is a vital part of any nation's economy. The term "ocea- 

 nography," meaning the study of the oceans, is relatively new in our 

 language. Basically oceanography is inseparable from hydrography, 

 the science by which the secrets of the oceans are revealed. This great 

 field of science may be divided into three branches — physical, geologi- 

 cal, and biological oceanography. The branch of physical oceanog- 

 raphy dealing with the physics of the oceans is that which is most 

 pertinent to Coast and Geodetic Survey operations. This branch 

 deals with tides, currents, and weaves, the physical processes in opera- 

 tion, and the distribution of variables such as temperature and density 

 of sea water. Geological oceanography deals with the geology of the 

 continental shelves, structure of the ocean floor, and the deep ocean 

 beyond the continental margins. 



Benjamin Franklin might be considered the father of oceanography 

 in the United States, or at least one of its first patrons, for his efforts 

 in directing attention of the scientific world, about the middle of the 

 18th century, to the existence of the Gulf Stream. The second Super- 

 intendent of the Coast Survey, Prof. Alexander Dallas Bache, a direct 

 descendant of Franklin, inaugurated the first orderly investigation of 

 the Gulf Stream, undertaken during the summer of 1846. American 



