630 



Subsequently, with the formation of MEDEA, there was an 

 opportunity to rectify these omissions. MEDEA consists of a 

 group of about 50 cleared scientists drawn from academia, 

 government, and industry. Disciplines and interest areas include 

 geology and geophysics, oceanography, atmospheric science, 

 polar science, urban growth, land cover and land use, 

 climatology, remote sensing, environmental remediation, and 

 others. There is considerable commonalty in MEDEA with the 

 original ETF group. MEDEA has been sponsored by the 

 intelligence community, with direct involvement of the DoD 

 and the Services, in particular from the offices of the 

 Oceanographer of the Navy and the Commander, Naval 

 Meteorology and Oceanography Command. 



The present study was undertaken by a subset of MEDEA 

 as a logical extension of the original ETF work as a result 

 of a request from Naval Meteorology and Oceanography 

 Command. The intention was to determine the unique potential 

 of these data for important use in scientific research, if public 

 release of currently classified oceanographic data were to 

 become possible. This study was also to identify opportunities 

 for collaboration between the civilian ocean science and Navy 

 communities that could benefit both In addition, it was to 

 suggest ways to obtain increased national payoff from previous 

 public investments in global data collection and modeling 

 made by the Navy. Finally, the intention was to determine if 

 there were means whereby limited scientific benefit of currently 

 classified data could be obtained in cases where public release 

 would not yet be possible (i.e.. "derived products"). 



C. NAVAL OCEANOGRAPHY BACKGROUND 



In the 1800s during the early days of the Depot of Charts 

 and Instruments, the objective of Navy oceanography was 

 to provide mariners with the information they needed for safe 

 and efficient navigation. Since Worid War I, when submarines 

 came into widespread use, submarine and anti-submarine 

 warfare have evolved rapidly to the point where today both 

 have a deep and fundamental reliance on exploiting detailed 

 physical properties of the oceans. Once sonar became a 

 valuable tool to submarines and surface ships during Worid 

 War II, its effective use required another dimension in 

 understanding of the ocean environment, namely acoustical 

 oceanography. With the advent of naval aviation, and 



particularly with aircraft operating off carriers, came the need 

 for accurate maritime weather forecasts. 



Evolution of computer and communications technology, along 

 with advances in meteorology and global weather 

 data collection, allowed forecasts of many environmental 

 parameters to be made and transmitted to naval units operating 

 around the world. Thus, ship and aircraft routing became 

 important parts of the NAVMETOCCOM's mission. More 

 recently, the long ranges of modem weapons systems, and their 

 precise targeting requirements, forced global predictions of 

 synoptic physical parameters from the depths of the ocean to 

 outer levels of the atmosphere w ith standards of precision not 

 previously achievable. 



The NAVMETOCCOM consists of the Naval Oceanographic 

 Office (NAVOCEANO), Fleet Numerical Meteorology and 

 Oceanography Center (FNMOC), several Fleet Support Centers, 

 and numerous operational units around the world. This 

 worldwide organization comprises about 3,000officer, enlisted, 

 and civilian personnel; two master computer centers; a number 

 of theater centers; and the ships and aircraft used in conducting 

 oceanographic surveys. 



The scale of the Naiy's ocean sun'ey and measuremeni program has 

 been immense. This has been the result of its global mis.iion respons- 

 ibilities, and of the priorities given during the cold war to anti-submarine 

 warfare f,45W/ and other Navy operations requiring technical support 

 in oceanography and meteorology. 



Dedicated ship services have collected data in all seasons across the 

 breadth of the Northern Hemisphere as well as over much of the Southern 

 Hemisphere. 



