266 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1959 
concept was broadened to encompass the world, since the phenomena 
originally considered characteristic of the polar regions were now 
known to be but intense manifestations of worldwide phenomena, and 
the new name “International Geophysical Year” was adopted. A 
geodetic project of the IUGG and URSI for a new world-longitude 
determination was included. The World Meteorological Organization 
(WMO) and later the International Union of Pure and Applied 
Physics (IUPAP) were welcomed to the company. Most important, 
by early July 1953, a full Special Committee for the International 
Geophysical Year (CSAGI) had been convened. In its first meet- 
ing, Dr. Chapman and Dr. Berkner were elected president and vice 
president, and Marcel Nicolet of Belgium was designated permanent 
secretary. The committee contained representatives of IAU, IUGG, 
URSI, WMO, ICSU, the International Geographical Union (IGU), 
and later IUPAP, suitably distributed by nationality. 
The IGY was considered at first as being divided among 11 disci- 
plines comprising such representative coverage of geophysics as 
meteorology, latitude and longitude determinations, geomagnetism, 
the ionosphere, aurorae and airglow, solar activity, cosmic rays, 
glaciology, and oceanography. The work was planned to be supported 
by a variety of constructive operations such as the choice and 
announcement of selected World Days for intensive observations, the 
organization of world data centers for the collection and dissemina- 
tion of technical results, and a program of publication covering all 
aspects of the IGY. The eventual performance of the work followed 
generally along the indicated lines; however, there were some changes, 
such as the later inclusion of gravity determinations and seismology, 
and the organization in some countries of such specialized logistic or 
operational activities as polar expeditions (notably to Antarctica), 
rocketry, and earth satellite experimentation. 
The original plan, subject to extensive later additions, dealt with 
broad objectives toward which the participating countries would work. 
In meteorology it included global atmospheric circulation, energy 
content and dynamics, ozone, cloud physics, and radio atmospherics 
and electricity. In geomagnetism the principal problems were the 
morphology of magnetic storms and transient effects, relations with 
the ionosphere, and the equatorial electrojet. Synoptic studies of 
aurorae, especially in relation to magnetic storms, were planned, as 
well as the betterment of auroral charts, spectrographic and photo- 
metric studies, and corresponding treatment of airglow phenomena. 
Tonospheric work was to include extensive recordings of layer heights, 
radio absorption and scatter effects, and galactic noises. Solar-activ- 
ity work was to be intensified and to include observations of radiation, 
sunspots and flares, the corona, and general spectroscopy. Cosmic- 
