196 



sea-air interaction are under continuing re- 

 search. However, in the view of the Commis- 

 sion, mucli more remains to be done. 



The most obvious interchanges between 

 the sea and the atmosphere are those of heat, 

 water vapor, and momentum. There are, 

 however, many other types of exchange; to- 

 gether they form exceedingly complex subtle 

 patterns. Although progress has been re- 

 ported, the development of theoretical solu- 

 tions is difficult. 



A major limitation in this field is the lack 

 of adequate instrumentation to measure di- 

 rectly the ocean-atmosphere exchanges. Be- 

 cause these fluxes occur on scales of motion 

 very much smaller than the scale of any ex- 

 isting or economically feasible observing 

 system, it is very difficult to relate them to 

 data collected on a much larger scale. In a 

 laboratory flask, this would not matter; the 

 exchanges could be directly inferred from 

 the more familiar measurements such as 

 temperature and humidity. On the open sea, 

 the problem is far more complicated. 



Observations of air-sea interactions will 

 require large-scale field experiments in 

 which a variety of observation platforms are 

 marshaled to provide a comprehensive pic- 

 ture of phenomena within the test area. The 

 Federal agencies and research institutions al- 

 ready have planned the Barbados Ocean- 

 ographic and Meteorological Experiment 

 (BOMEX) to be conducted later this year. 

 However, more extensive efforts of this kind 

 (as now planned in conjunction with the 

 World Weather Program) will be needed. 

 The Commission believes that the consoli- 

 dated planning and operating capabilities 

 for such field programs, which should be 

 centered in the National Oceanic and At- 

 mospheric Agency, constitute major advan- 

 tages to be gained from the formation of this 

 agency. 



The Commission recommends that the 

 National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Agency (ESSA) place continued high pri- 



During her first mission in 1969, 

 tlic rcxiarcJi siiimarhic Ben 

 Franklin will drift northivard from- 

 Florida to New England while 

 her crew eonducts a detailed 

 investigation of the Gulf Stream. 

 Hot meals during the nnderseas 

 voyage xcill he prepared from 

 dehydrated food^ reconstituted 

 from near-hoiling water carried, 

 in the galley in insulated vacuum 

 tanks. 



