Marine Science Affairs 



capability for research in subpolar areas has been the completion of a pre- 

 liminary design for a medium class polar ice breaker with a significantly 

 greater capability than ice breakers currently operating in the U.S. fleet. Al- 

 ternative designs have been model-tested and design parameters have been 

 computerized for analyzing tradeoffs. Also, ice breakers currently in service 

 have been instrumented to develop additional data. Meanwhile, the facilities 

 for the Navy Arctic Research Laboratory at Barrow, Alaska, have been 

 expanded (Figure XI-2). 



A Framework for Scientific Activities 



To provide a more coherent framework for these activities the Council 

 has stated that scientific objectives of Arctic marine research programs 

 should include a better understanding of : 



— the interactions between the atmosphere, ice cover, and ocean 

 waters and the role of these interactions in global atmospheric and 

 oceanic circulation; 

 — the Arctic Ocean climate and its relation to glaciation of the con- 

 tinents ; 

 — the geological character and structure of the Arctic region and its 



role in the evolution of the continents and their shelves; 

 — the formation and modification of Arctic coastal and submerged 



features ; 

 — the character and distribution of the biota and its variations; 

 — the ecosystems of the Arctic, their productivity, and the impact of 



human activity; 

 — the physical properties and behavior of Arctic ice ; 

 — the physical and chemical characteristics of Arctic water masses and 



their relation to the global ocean ; 

 — the geographic and temporal variations of polar cap atmospheric 



and ionospheric events; and 

 — the acoustical characteristics of the Arctic seas. 

 Research and exploration will thus continue to undergird our Arctic 

 activities. All considerations require improved understanding of the air, 

 sea, and land environments and the predictability of the dynamic processes 

 of air, ice, and water and their interactions. New knowledge is needed to 

 construct and operate facilities, roads, harbors, and vehicles to open this 

 territory. Engineering studies are needed to gain the know-how and to de- 

 velop improved technical applications which give man the ability to cope 

 with and use the environment. 



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