322 



And, therefore, most of us get our reputations by studying the 

 spreading centers where the very hot vents are; the National Geo- 

 graphic covered our work there and everybody is very excited. That 

 sort of action turns you on. But to look at 1 million square kilome- 

 ters, where you take a core here and you go 500 miles and take 

 another core and you lay them side by side and they are exactly 

 the same, well, you really don't get too excited about that sort of 

 thing. 



I think the oceanographic community, which has been briefed all 

 along about this concept is aware of the subseabed program. 



We have no secrets. We have gone to the International Council 

 of Scientific Unions (Paris) and said, "What is wrong with the 

 concept?" 



And from a geological point of view we are cautiously optimistic. 

 But until we know whether these sediments will "burp," because it 

 may become buoyant after emplacing a hot "core," we have a 

 problem. 



And if so, we will just shut the program down. 



Mr. Akaka. Let me ask this: 



Would you say, then, that the most feasible region extends north 

 of Guam, and west? 



Dr. HoLLiSTER. Yes. 



Mr. Akaka. Thank you very much. 



Mr. Studds. Thank you very much. Doctor. 



This was absolutely fascinating. 



The defense of the infeasible may be uncommon where you work 

 but it is common practice around here. 



Dr. HoLLiSTER. I am beginning to learn the process. 



Mr. Studds. I understand that minority counsel has one ques- 

 tion. 



Mr. Marshall. Just one quick question to Mr. Anderson. 



The whole subseabed program appears to rely very heavily on 

 mathematical modeling. Could you tell us how you plan on verify- 

 ing some of these models that you will be constructing? 



Dr. Anderson. It is a very good question. 



I will try. 



Because we are talking of long periods of time, very much longer 

 than we will be able to continue an experiment, we have taken the 

 approach that we must use mathematical models which have the 

 best physics, chemistry, biology in them, and then verify those 

 through similar but accelerated tests. 



The in-situ heat transfer experiment is the first of our verifica- 

 tion field programs. We plan to put a thermal source into the 

 bottom and then watch the development of the time temperature 

 profiles. These will be matched against the predictions. A similar 

 type of experiment can be carried out for each subsection of the 

 program. For example, the ion transport verification is also rela- 

 tively easy and quick because you can use ions that do not stick as 

 tightly as plutonium does. Remember it only moves four canister 

 lengths in 100,000 years. If you use something like chlorine, it will 

 move much more rapidly. So over a few years you can observe the 

 distance that it has moved. Understanding that you have the phys- 

 ics right, it then becomes a matter of putting in the appropriate 

 and correct parameters, and making the predictions. 



