Annex V 



SCIENTIFIC ADVICE AND PLANNING OF AIR-SEA INTERACTION STUDIES 



(Submitted by WMO) 



1. Certain GARP sub -programmes are expected to include air-sea inter- 

 action studies and, consequently, the lAMAP/IAPSO/SCOR Joint Committee on 

 Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction was requested to advise the JOC on scientific 

 requirements of such studies. In the spirit of UN Resolution 2172 (XXI) 

 calling for close co-operation between international organizations involved 

 in ocean research, it was considered that the planning of the implementation 

 of air-sea interaction projects, whether GARP or non-GARP, should be closely 

 co-ordinated between ICSU, WMO and IOC. With this in mind, the WMO Executive 

 Committee proposed, at its twentieth session (Geneva, 1968), the establishment 

 of a joint WMO/IOC/ICSU Panel on Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction Studies within 

 the framework of the WMO/ICSU Joint Organizing Committee for GARP. The 

 relevant paragraph of this Executive Committee Resolution is attached as 

 Appendix A. 



2. The relationship of the proposed panel with the lAMAP/IAPSO/SCOR 

 Joint Committee on the one hand and the JOC on the other has been clarified 

 in an organizational diagram and in draft terms of reference for the proposed 

 panel. These were submitted to ICSU as an illustration of the thought behind 

 the proposed arrangement for which the concurrence of ICSU was sought. The 

 diagram and draft terms of reference are attached as Appendices B and C. 



3. The proposed panel was thought to provide a suitable mechanism 

 which would enable IOC, as required, to assist the JOC in the planning 



of the implementation of relevant GARP sub -programme s . It would also ensure 

 co-ordination between WMO and IOC on those air-sea interaction projects which 

 would ultimately not be considered suitable by the JOC for insertion in GARP 

 sub -programmes. The nimiber of members of the panel should be limited to say 

 6 persons and some of them should be drawn from the lAMAP/IAPSO/SCOR Committee 

 to ensure co-ordination of work. 



4. The WMO proposal was briefly considered by the session of the 

 ICSU Panel for GARP in September 1968 and subsequently by the ICSU officers. 

 It was not felt necessary by ICSU to have another WMO/IOC/ICSU Panel but 

 there are indications that this conclusion was, to some extent at least, 



the result of a misunderstanding. The General Assembly of ICSU (September 

 1968) did not discuss the subject. 



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