68 OCEANOGRAPHY 



Mr. Bauer, Let me ask you further. Is geomagnetic data part of 

 oceanograpliic data ? 



Admiral Pierce. It is applicable to oceanography and it is used, 

 but I think there could be an interchange between the data center at 

 the Hydrographic Office and the Coast and Geodetic Survey for mag- 

 netic data. For instance, we are today collaborating with the Hydro- 

 graphic Office and w^e produce magnetic charts of the world, mag- 

 netic charts of the United States on a 5- and 10-year schedule, and 

 we get data from the Hj^lrographic Office and from our observa- 

 tories and our own ships, and these charts are compiled over there in 

 collaboration with the Hydrographic Office and it has worked very 

 well. 



We have done the same thing for the lake survey. We prepared 

 magnetic charts for them and have done the same thing for the Army 

 Map Service in South and Central America. It seems to work very 

 well. 



I think there is no indicated change here at all. 



Mr. Bauer. As far as the survey and the proposed data center, the 

 two must be considered in view of your statement. How about 

 gravity signatures and other geophysical information ? Where would 

 that information go ? 



Admiral Pierce. Gravity observations are specialized material. 

 Most of your gravity observations obviously have been made on land 

 because it is easy to do it. It is only in recent years that we have made 

 observations at sea and they have progressed to the point where they 

 are making them from the air now and also on surface-borne ships. 



This material does affect oceanography and certainly involves 

 geology, deflection of the vertical and this sort of thing. 



The Coast and Geodetic Survey still maintains this data and I 

 see no reason to change that data. In other words, I see no reason 

 to assign gravity observations to this Oceanographic Data Center. I 

 think we already have a vehicle that is handling it satisfactorily. I 

 think it should be as the title says, an oceanographic data center. 



Mr. Bauer. Well, how would you conceive of going about an ocean 

 survey ? Would there be an allocation of territorial interest, we shall 

 say, by some coordinated mechanism or means within the Government 

 or how would you do it to prevent duplication and the maximum use 

 of our ship bottoms at sea ? 



Admiral Pierce. It is my understanding that this Interagency Com- 

 mittee of the Federal Council with their people from all agencies 

 would consider this and allocate the areas because the people concerned 

 are going to be right there so that this is one of the most vital things 

 to be done at this time, to plan who is going to work where and to 

 find out, which I think we do now, wiiere these private institutions 

 like Scripps and Woods Hole have worked. 



This is going to have to be worked out in this Interagency Com- 

 mittee. I know it has to. There has been some progress along that 

 line already. 



Mr. Bauer. Admiral Pierce, with respect to the survey of the 

 oceans, have you given any thought to employing industi*y to assist 

 in this survey ? 



Admiral Pierce. I have thought about it but I do not think there 

 has been anything done about it. It seems to me that your ships 

 travel given routes and they would be repeating their observations if 



