﻿OCEANOGRAPHY 
  — 
  STETSON 
  241 
  

  

  basins 
  may 
  be 
  unraveled. 
  When 
  long 
  cores 
  have 
  been 
  obtained 
  from 
  

   the 
  red 
  clay 
  of 
  the 
  Pacific, 
  where 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  deposition 
  is 
  extremely 
  

   slow, 
  it 
  is 
  expected 
  that 
  valuable 
  data 
  will 
  be 
  obtained 
  on 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  

   decay 
  of 
  radioactive 
  minerals, 
  which 
  are 
  exceedingly 
  abundant 
  in 
  these 
  

   clays. 
  

  

  Little 
  enough 
  is 
  known 
  of 
  the 
  clastic 
  sediments 
  — 
  black 
  shales, 
  for 
  

   instance 
  — 
  but 
  even 
  less 
  is 
  known 
  about 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  limestone 
  and 
  its 
  

   corollary, 
  dolomite. 
  Chemistry 
  in 
  relation 
  to 
  marine 
  sediments, 
  both 
  

   organic 
  and 
  inorganic, 
  and 
  its 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  processes 
  of 
  di- 
  

   agenesis 
  is 
  a 
  field 
  which 
  has 
  scarcely 
  been 
  scratched. 
  Even 
  the 
  com- 
  

   position 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  contained 
  in 
  the 
  bottom 
  sediments 
  and 
  the 
  part 
  

   it 
  plays 
  is 
  an 
  unknown 
  quantity. 
  Along 
  these 
  lines 
  the 
  possibilities 
  

   for 
  future 
  development 
  are 
  practically 
  limitless. 
  

  

  No 
  longer 
  does 
  oceanography 
  have 
  to 
  depend 
  on 
  the 
  outfitting 
  of 
  

   special 
  expeditions 
  for 
  its 
  continued 
  advancement. 
  As 
  a 
  science 
  it 
  has 
  

   become 
  firmly 
  established, 
  and 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  in 
  all 
  its 
  phases 
  is 
  

   now 
  carried 
  out 
  both 
  here 
  and 
  abroad. 
  Not 
  only 
  are 
  numerous 
  labora- 
  

   tories 
  devoted 
  exclusively 
  to 
  this 
  purpose, 
  but 
  many 
  government 
  de- 
  

   partments 
  have 
  also 
  made 
  it 
  an 
  integral 
  part 
  of 
  their 
  programs. 
  Using 
  

   this 
  country 
  as 
  an 
  illustration, 
  the 
  Coast 
  and 
  Geodetic 
  Survey 
  has 
  

   engaged 
  in 
  charting 
  operations 
  which 
  have 
  proved 
  particularly 
  signifi- 
  

   cant 
  in 
  the 
  field 
  of 
  submarine 
  morphology. 
  The 
  Navy 
  has 
  furnished 
  

   submarines 
  on 
  several 
  occasions 
  for 
  the 
  measurement 
  of 
  gravity 
  at 
  

   sea, 
  and 
  the 
  Hydrographic 
  Office 
  is 
  constantly 
  accumulating 
  and 
  pub- 
  

   lishing 
  deep-sea 
  soundings. 
  The 
  Coast 
  Guard 
  has 
  incorporated 
  the 
  

   study 
  of 
  the 
  internal 
  dynamics 
  of 
  sea 
  water 
  as 
  part 
  of 
  its 
  work 
  on 
  the 
  

   ice 
  patrol 
  off 
  the 
  Grand 
  Banks 
  of 
  Newfoundland. 
  The 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Fish- 
  

   eries 
  investigates 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  part 
  ecologic 
  problems 
  which 
  concern 
  

   the 
  various 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  the 
  ocean 
  but 
  has 
  also 
  taken 
  much 
  hydro- 
  

   graphic 
  data. 
  Similar 
  work 
  is 
  being 
  carried 
  out 
  by 
  the 
  governments 
  

   of 
  all 
  the 
  important 
  maritime 
  nations. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  initiative 
  and 
  impetus 
  for 
  the 
  development 
  

   of 
  the 
  biological 
  and 
  physical 
  oceanography 
  has 
  been 
  furnished 
  by 
  

   European 
  countries, 
  America 
  may 
  lay 
  claim 
  to 
  this 
  role 
  in 
  the 
  field 
  

   of 
  submarine 
  geology. 
  The 
  support 
  which 
  has 
  been, 
  and 
  continues 
  to 
  

   be, 
  furnished 
  by 
  institutions, 
  learned 
  societies, 
  and 
  government 
  

   agencies 
  in 
  this 
  country 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  money, 
  ships, 
  and 
  equipment 
  

   is 
  a 
  measure 
  of 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  the 
  problems 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  success 
  which 
  

   has 
  been 
  achieved. 
  However, 
  after 
  the 
  original 
  impetus 
  has 
  been 
  

   given, 
  international 
  cooperation 
  is 
  essential 
  if 
  the 
  study 
  is 
  to 
  reach 
  its 
  

   fullest 
  development. 
  There 
  is 
  every 
  indication 
  that 
  such 
  will 
  continue. 
  

  

  To 
  attempt 
  a 
  list 
  of 
  institutions 
  and 
  bureaus 
  engaged 
  in 
  oceano- 
  

   graphic 
  work 
  or 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  complete 
  catalog 
  of 
  present 
  activity 
  in 
  

   submarine 
  geology 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  this 
  chapter. 
  The 
  student 
  

  

  