ADVANCEMENT OF MARINE SCIENCES 25 



Project II would involve a network of buoys covering the entire 

 Gulf of Mexico. 



Ten buoys would be instrumented to measure a variety' of meteoro- 

 logical and oceanographic parameters, including aii' and water tem- 

 peratures, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, and state 

 of the sea. 



From this the college would hope to obtain data relating to the 

 climatology of the gulf, air mass modification over the gulf, variations 

 in conditions within the upper la^^ers of water in the gulf and conditions 

 contributing to formation of hurricanes. 



C^osts of this project were estunated at $821,862. 



At approxmiatel}' the same time a s^^miposium was held at the 

 Scripps Oceanographic Institution, La Jolla, Calif., on clmiatology 

 of the Pacific Ocean. For several j^ears waters of the Eastern Pacific 

 have been warmer than normal, while those off Japan are reported 

 to have been below normal temperature. 



Causes and effects of these anomalies are under study. 



The Weather Bureau, since September 14, 1960, has operated in 

 the Gulf of Mexico a marine automatic weather station, which report- 

 edly almost immediately detected the birth of a tropical cyclone, 

 Hurricane Ethel. 



The Bureau would like to have man}^ more of the these mechanical 

 watchdogs of the sea. 



The Bureau also has repeatedly requested funds for infrared tlier- 

 mometers, likewise useful in advance hm-ricane detection, to install on 

 merchant ships, but has so far been unsuccessful. It ah-eady has one 

 protot}T)e. Cost of others would be $2,000 each. 



British and French weather ships have wave measuring devices. 

 Those of the United States do not. 



British and Norwegian ships have instruments with which to 

 measure solar radiation in connection with the interchange of energy 

 between oceans and the atmosphere. The U.S. ships do not have them. 



Nor do the U.S. ships from which scientists of the Weather Bureau 

 make their observations have anemometers to measure wind speed at 

 the ocean surface. 



S. 901 would inaugurate in the Weather Bureau a comprehensive 

 10-year study of the interchange of energy and matter between the 

 oceans and the atmosphere and its imphcations in connection with 

 long-range weather forecasting. 



The bill would authorize infrared thermometers for measurements of 

 sea-surface temperatures in connection with detection of incipient 

 hurricanes, studies of wave acceleration and pressure, and measure- 

 ments of solar radiation in the marine environment. 



Other provisions would authorize development, construction, or 

 acquisition of new and improved instruments and devices for use in 

 Weather Bureau research, including marine automatic meteorological 

 observing stations, and application to such stations of atomic power 

 sources. 



Weather Bureau studies authorized in S. 901 also could be carried 

 out through grants to institutions or contracts with public or private 

 organizations. 



From the contemplated research by the Coast and Geodetic Survey, 

 the Coast Guard and the Weather Bureau would come greater pro- 

 tection to commerce and navigation, added safety to those who go to 



