and radioactive tracer materials in beach studies is contemplated in 

 field studies in FY-63 ° Better description of shore and nearshore 

 materials are being sought,, particularly through statistical means 

 utilizing computers,, and studies are underway on the sorting and redis- 

 tribution of materials under wave action, 



DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 



Weather Bureau FY-62 $ 



~~ -~~ — — FY-63 $ 



The Weather Bureau's interest in the sea floor topography and its 

 relation to surrounding land masses is restricted to the deflection, 

 blocking,, or channeling of major ocean currents and the resulting 

 climatic effect s„ The potential of areal weather and climatic modifi- 

 cation could conceivably include the physical change in the flow pattern 

 of ocean current s c 



The Weather Bureau is interested in studies relating current, topo- 

 graphy and climatic change, but does not plan to fund for such research 

 in FY-63 . 



Coast & Geodetic Survey FY -62 $206,000 



— ~*-r— — FY-63 $301,000 



The hydrographic surveya and marine geophysical (magnetic and gravity) 

 operations of the Coast Survey contribute directly to this research 

 Objective o Although most of the funds for these operations are 

 listed under "surveys" 3 there is no sharp dividing line between sur- 

 veys and research. Recent research projects have been reported in 

 professional publications and include the geological interpretation 

 of bathymetry along the continental slope off southwest Florida 

 and a. similar study of the Florida Straits south of the Keys. Other 

 research projects include the geology of a newly-discovered bank 

 rising from deep water in the Caribbean, a study of migrating sand 

 waves on Georges Bank, a study of the area of bottom erosion and 

 sedimentation in Chesapeake Bay, the geology of the sea floor in the 

 Gulf of Alaska, changes in Lituya Bay, Alaska, resulting from recent 

 earthquakes, and a study of the rising lard mass in southeast Alaska, 

 Investigations of this nature will be considerably expanded in FY -1963= 



Working with the Geological Survey, geophysicists of the Coast Survey 

 are studying the distribution of magnetic anomalies in the Arctic.; 

 Marine Geophysical work is currently being carried out in the Chukchi 

 Sea, in the North pacific and off the northeast Atlantic Coasti 

 Acquisition of additional magnetometers and another shipboard gravity 

 meter planned for FY-1963 will increase the capabilities of the 

 Coast Survey in this field,, 



Equipment has been purchased which will provide information on the 

 thickness of recent sediments and structure of the subsurface layers, 

 A new deep-sea camera to be used jointly by Coa§t Survey photo- 

 grammetrists and oceanographers will be used for research on the sea flooro 



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