52 OCEAN SCIENCES AND NATIONAL SECURITY 



exchange of energy can be accounted for and the long-term manifesta- 

 tions ol climate miderstood. 



Eventually, man desires to control climate, to enjoy the salubrious 

 effects of mild and predictable weather. It would seem that the sheer 

 mass of this natural phenomenon would defy adjustment. On the 

 other hand, scientists are confronted with many processes in which 

 a condition exists of incipient instability. Like sitting on a fence, 

 onl}" relatively small forces or investments of energy are necessary to 

 cause the process to swing radically from one side to another. 



If these processes could be controlled, the impact for constructive 

 purposes by their application to marginal lands, thus to feed an 

 increasing population of the future, will be significant. The military 

 use of climate control carries with it more sinister implications. The 

 nation that could influence the rainfall of another might well control 

 the destiny of the world. 



F. TRANSPORTATION AND COMMERCE 



The advent of nuclear power and the exploit of nuclear-propelled 

 submarines in traversing the North Pole beneath the icecaps and en- 

 tirely around the world submerged mark developments which may 

 preface significant innovations in sea transportation. While for a 

 combat submarine, nuclear propulsion has demonstrated advantages 

 over orthodox systems for prolonged submergence at high-sustained 

 speeds, nevertheless, this successful application has stimulated much 

 imaginative thinking of other military and, equally important, 

 commercial uses. Studies have revealed the practicability and 

 eventual economic feasibility, of submarine tankers for commercial 

 transportation of bulk liquid cargo. However, the advantage of 

 submarines in fuel economy at high speed because of lower hull 

 resistance (freedom from dissipation of energy in forming bow waves) 

 is balanced by higher costs of construction of ship and port facilities 

 so the arguments for commercial submarines are not overwhelming. 



Submarine transportation, however, would extend trade routes 

 under the ice. The presence of sea ice in the Northern Hemisphere is 

 well known. In summer, this ice retreats from the northern boundaries 

 of Russia, Canada, and Alaska sufficiently that round-the-world navi- 

 gation is possible at latitudes between 70° and 85°. All year, all 

 weather transportation by travel under the ice might have very 

 entertaining possibilities. If relations with the Soviets improve, trade 

 would certainly increase and polar routes are obvious. Even more 

 immediate, commercial routes between certain major ports would be 

 reduced by Arctic operation. The standard distance between New 

 York and Tokyo is 9,638 nautical miles, but it is oidy 7,512 miles via 

 Baffin Bay, northern Canada, and the Bering Strait. From London 

 to Tokyo, the nautical distance is 10,958 miles versus 7,530 miles via 

 the northern route. On the other hand, the distance from New York 

 to Seattle via the Panama Canal is 5,874 miles versus 7,212 miles via 

 the northern route, which would thus render this operation unattrac- 

 tive unless the Canal were closed. 



Any operations would benefit by an improved Ivnowledge of the sea; 

 in this case, of sea ice, and of bottom topograpliy. Currents, for 

 example, could possibly be utilized by submarines to increase theu* 



