OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 9 



Mr. Miller. How long, Doctor, has this matter been under study 

 or when did we first begin to approach the problem of meteorological 

 oceanography. 



Mr. Ueichelderfer. Well, theories and hypotheses about the in- 

 terrelationship go back many decades. The early oceanographers and 

 early meteorologists suspected there was a relationship but the data 

 available to them for study was so meager that many of their liypoth- 

 eses have turned out to be wrong since we have gotten more data. 

 Of course, one of the striking things in our studies now is that, com- 

 pared with the vastness of the phenomena we are trying to study, 

 our data are still very, very inadequate. 



One of the charts that I hope to show later brings this out rather 

 dramatically. 



It is a process of constantly adding to our understanding and our 

 knowledge and the more data we obtain the more accurately we 

 can put together the jigsaw puzzles — and it is a jigsaw puzzle — so that 

 we can see the entire picture. 



We have only a fcAV pieces to put together at this time. 



Mr. Miller. This, like the whole field of oceanography, is one 

 that has been neglected for a long time and lias only been dramatized 

 quite recently although there have been those of you who have appre- 

 ciated its importance all along. 



It is only now that we are beginning, through the National Academy 

 of Sciences and the great work that they did, to bring some of these 

 factors home to the people and particularly Congress. 



Mr. Reichelderfer. This is true. The general expansion, almost 

 explosion of interest in science, the various things that have con- 

 tributed to this have all shown the need for much more emphasis on 

 the geophysical sciences and particular!}^ on oceanography and 

 meteorology. 



Mr. Miller. Thank you. 



Mr. Reichelderfer. An important practical aspect of meteor- 

 ological oceanography is concerned with "storm surges or storm tides" 

 produced by hurricanes and other severe windstorms. The storm 

 tides cause most of the loss of life and property. This subject involves 

 not oidy an extensive study of tlie records of abnormal tides and 

 long-period changes in sea level supplied by the Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey, but also basic hivestigations of the effects of wind force and 

 atmospheric pressure on the height of the sea. 



Coastal weather, subject to both continental and oceanic influences, 

 is notoriously variable. The problem assumes new importance with 

 the expected increase in nuclear-powered vessels and the associated 

 atmospheric contamination problems that may arise. 



Intensified research into meteorological oceanograpln^ should include 

 the following: 



1. Investigations with regard to the exchange of heat, water vapor, 

 momentum, cliemicals and other properties across the atmosphere- 

 ocean interface. 



2. Study the feedback mechanism wJiereby unusual weather con- 

 ditions produce unusual sea conditions, particularly temperature 

 changes, and the manner in which these, in turn, subsequentlv intro- 

 duce atmospheric changes sucli as variations in paths and intensi- 

 ties of storms. 



