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atmosphere. The time scales of such fluctuations range from months 
to years and the spatial scales in excess of 1,000 kilometers. It is 
a major field project involving vessels and buoys and participation 
by scientists from many USS. institutions. The results from this study 
are expected to contribute to improved prediction of weather and 
climate for the northeastern Pacific Ocean and North America. Recog- 
nizing the interests of the U.S.S.R. in marine meteorology and 
oceanography, the United States has proposed that the U.S.S.R. par- 
ticipate in this major experiment. As a result, the possibility of carrying 
out a cooperative large-scale ocean-atmosphere interaction study has 
been under consideration since the first meeting of the Joint Commit- 
tee in February 1974. At that time both sides agreed to explore 
possible cooperative studies in that region and specific proposals are 
to be considered by a group of experts for approval by the Joint 
Committee. The Hydrometeorological Service of the U.S.S.R. has ves- 
sels for such oceanographic and marine meteorological research. Six 
of these vessels are located in the Far East. With such capability 
the U.S.S.R. could make an important contribution to this experiment 
to better understand the influence of the oceans upon weather and 
climate. 
Each country also has conducted its own oceanographic field studies 
in Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica and plans 
are being developed for further work in that area. The United States 
through the International Southern Ocean Studies is investigating the 
dynamic processes in the southern ocean and their relation to oceanic 
and atmospheric circulation patterns. During January to March 1975 
the first dynamic response and Kinematics Experiment (F DRAKE) 
under this program was carried out by the United States in Drake 
Passage. The Soviet Union also is investigating the structure of the 
Antarctic circumpolar current in Drake Passage under its polar experi- 
ment south (polex-s) program and, it too, conducted studies in Drake 
Passage during December 1974 and January 1975. These two in- 
vestigations though carried out independently were complementary 
and provide an expansion of coverage and observation that will 
‘enhance the understanding of dynamics of the southern ocean. Experts 
from both countries have met to coordinate this work and are develop- 
ing further cooperation for 1976. 
Ocean Currents of Planetary Scale and Other Questions of Ocean 
Dynamics 
To further our understanding of the role of medium-scale motions 
in the oceans, both United States and Soviet scientists have been 
concerned with such motions occurring within the Atlantic Ocean. 
In the United States a major research effort has been the midocean 
dynamics experiment (MODE), sponsored under the International 
Decade of Ocean Exploration of the National Science Foundation. 
The Soviet scientists similarly have initiated a major moored current- 
meter study, the POLYGON experiment, in the North Atlantic Ocean. 
Rather than being duplicative and the studies are complementary. 
Consequently, to better advance the knowledge gained from these 
separate efforts toward understanding the theory of eddy processes 
in the oceans both countries agreed to develop a joint field project 
(POLYMODE). 
