46 MARINE SCIENCE 



People are working around the clock, not for a day but for days on 

 end. 



From where I sit, what bothers me is that the entire operation has 

 had to be organized at the working level. The senior members of the 

 cooperating agencies have really no time to understand what we are 

 trying to do, or what it really means to them in terms of the efficiency 

 of their service. 



In my opinion, Mr. Chairman, the most important thing that any 

 bill that you can devise in support of marine science could do is to 

 remuid the heads of agencies (agencies which are in fact cooperating 

 at the working level) that they, too, should take part in the planning 

 of such future operations and that they should be cooperating as vig- 

 orously as the fellows who are struggling with seasickness and airsick- 

 ness this morning. 



Senator Engle. What was this remark about ballistic missiles ? 



Mr. IsELiN. I said this particular operation cuts to the heart of the 

 problem of setting up a surveillance system that would monitor this 

 area and enable you to know in plenty of time that something you 

 didn't want was there. 



Senator Engle. Do you mean by underwater devices of some type, 

 is tliat what you are talking about ? 



Mr. IsELiN. This operation is the key to understanding how to de- 

 sign a sure-fire underwater surveillance system. 



The Chairmajst. And in a broad area ? 



Mr. IsELiN. Yes. 



Senator Engle. With regard to this channel, or level where you can 

 transmit practically around the world, that is low-frequency, is it 

 not? 



Mr. IsELiN. Yes, because low frequencies are not attenuated in sea 

 water as rapidly as high frequencies. The channel also transmits 

 higher frequencies but the lower you go the further your range can be 

 expected. 



Senator Engle. This evidently isn't a line-of -sight business such as 

 it is with the very high frequency radio transmission where you have 

 to have line of sight and an obstruction can frustrate the signal ? 



Mr. Iselin. Perhaps Mr. Worzel could say whether he thinks he is 

 getting reflected signals. 



The Chairman. Dr. Worzel is here. He is with the Lamont Ob- 

 servatory and he can also talk about specifics a little bit. How this 

 affects the undersea warfare and defense. 



Mr. Worzel. I am John Lamar Worzel, professor of geophysics at 

 Columbia University and assistant director of Lamont Geological 

 Observatory. 



In answer to your question, Mr. Engle, the path was the great circle 

 path from Australia to Bermuda. In the usual maps we look at this 

 path is not obvious, but on a globe it becomes immediately obvious 

 that it is a great circle path. If there is an obstruction such as a 

 continent or an island in between on the great circle path, it will 

 obstruct the sound. We do get reflections, however, from many sur- 

 faces and we haven't yet learned how to use these as well as we have 

 the directly transmitted sounds. 



Senator Engle. You haven't gotten so you could bomice a sound 

 off a place under the water like you bounce a sound off the Moon? 



