national and international attention because of the dominating 

 influence climate exercises on food and water supplies and on energy 

 consumption. In each of these areas, even relatively minor changes 

 that might have passed without major repercussions in the past may 

 now lead to crises because of the ever-increasing demands generated 

 by population pressures and increasing worldwide affluence. 

 Today's climatic research, backed by substantial technological 

 advances, offers the potential to predict climatic change so that man 

 can more readily adapt to changing environmental conditions. 



A National Climate Program is being planned by NOAA to assist 

 the Nation to cope more effectively with climate-induced problems 

 by enabling the Federal Government to keep abreast of and 

 anticipate climate fluctuations and their impacts. This plan calls for 

 a monitoring effort in the world's oceans to provide increased 

 understanding of the ocean climate and to understand the ocean's 

 influence on the atmosphere. 



One of the most ambitious international scientific programs ever 

 undertaken occurred during 1974. This was the Global Atmospheric 

 Research Program (GARP) Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GATE). 

 (GARP is designed to improve our understanding of global weather 

 forecasts and climate fluctuations.) The principal objective of GATE 

 was to study the structure of tropical weather systems, including 

 their interaction with ocean processes, and to assess the extent to 

 which these disturbances affect total atmospheric circulation. 



An unprecedented array of international observing facilities was 

 deployed by participating nations, with the United States providing 

 major support by six Federal agencies. Headquartered in Dakar, 

 Senegal, the U.S. GATE Project Office coordinated the U.S. 

 involvement. Some 1,500 persons from the U.S. participated in the 

 experiment with 4,000 others from many nations, including Brazil, 

 Canada, France, Federal Republic of Germany, German Democratic 

 Republic, Mexico, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the U.S.S.R. 

 As lead U.S. agency for GATE, NOAA coordinated the activities of 

 agency components in DOD, NASA, NSF, and DOT. Data were 

 obtained from ships, aircraft, buoys, satellites, etc. The data are now 

 being processed by the various nations in national processing 

 centers. 



The preliminary evaluation of GATE suggests that the most 

 important objectives were successfully achieved. In the United 

 States more than 100 principal scientists in more than 40 institutions 

 are beginning to assimilate and review GATE data. Studies cover a 

 tremendous range of disciplines. Scientists, government agencies, 

 and international bodies will continue to organize and direct 

 activities so that all GATE objectives may be realized. 



Unraveling the historical pattern of climate change is the goal of 



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