24 ADVANCEMENT OF MARINE SCIENCES 



Office of Naval Research contracts include the following studies: 



1 . Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. — Life cycles of trade wind 

 clouds. The mechanism by which a cumulus cloud transfers water 

 from the sea surface to the atmosphere. Source, distribution, tem- 

 poral variation, and meteorological significance of sea salt nuclei in 

 the atmosphere with relation to their involvement with rain and 

 hurricane formation. Measurement of wind-generated waves and 

 spectrum anal3^sis of these measurements. 



2. University of Chicago. — Interchange of heat, momentum, and 

 moisture from the tropics to the temperate zone and the relationships 

 between changes in the tropics to changes in the synoptic weather 

 patterns in the temperate zone. These studies include that of storms 

 at the ocean surface. 



3. Texas Agricultural cfc Mechanical College. — Thermal structure of 

 the upper layers of the oceanic water and heat transfer processes 

 operative between the ocean and atmosphere with a view to develop- 

 ing techniques for forecasting changes in the thermocline. 



4. New York University.— Develoi>nient of the theory of ocean 

 currents and waves and the problems of anomalous fluctuations of 

 the stratification of the upper water layers. 



In addition, the Office of Naval Research is carrying out, at its 

 own Naval Research Laboratory, microseismic studies recording wave 

 spectra and wind energy, and the relationships between these param- 

 eters and the origins and activity of ocean storms. 



The Bureau of Ships is conducting a heat budget analysis at a field 

 station at Nome, Alaska, in connection with studies of ice formation, 

 movement, and degeneration. 



The Navy Hydrographic Office is engaged in three major projects 

 involving measurements of the thermal structure of the ocean and 

 atmosphere, currents at many vertical positions of the atmosphere 

 and ocean, weather phenomena, salinity, wave heights and duration. 

 These are related also to the marme and geographic topography and 

 to meteorology. 



One of the projects is directed to obtaining more knowledge of ice 

 formation, disintegration, distribution, and movements with a view 

 to better forecasts. 



A second is related to forecasting ocean waves. 



A third considers the heat budget and results of energy exchange 

 upon thermal structure of the ocean. 



A joint panel on air-sea interaction was held in Washington on 

 April 17, sponsored by the Committees on Oceanography and on 

 Atmospheric Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences. 



Texas A. & M. College, on May 8, presented to Government 

 agencies two proposals for long-range studies of oceanographic- 

 meteorological conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. 



Program I would involve use of a network of fixed platforms 60 

 nautical miles off Cameron, La. Bottom depth in this area is 95 feet. 



Objectives would be to obtain a du*ect evaluation of sea surface 

 roughness and the vertical flux of heat and momentum, investigate 

 internal wave characteristics and the energy spectrum of wind-gen- 

 erated waves, formulate predictions of the air-sea boundary, and col- 

 lect data on ocean dispersion using water-soluble fluorescent dye. 



Cost of the project, including instrmnentation, was estmiated by 

 the college at $3,085,252. 



