336 



and for consultation in the development of a program a permanent Joint ICO/ 

 ICAS Air-Sea Interaction Panel was established in May 196^4- . 



At that time Dr. Frank Gifford was the Chairman of this Panel. VThen 

 Dr. J. Spar became Director of Meteorological Research of the Weather Bureau 

 he then assumed the Chairmanship. The members of the Panel are: 



Thomas S. Austin- Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 



Dr. Woodrow C. Jacobs - National Oceanographic Data Center 



Arnold B. Joseph - Atomic Energy Commission 



Dr. Donald Martineau - Dept. of Defense 



Lcdr. R. M. Morse - Dept. of the Treasury, Coast Guard 



Dr. R. V. Thomaxm - Delaware Estuary Comprehensive Study - Dept. of 



Health, Education and Welfare 

 Dr. Fred White - National Science Foundation 



In order to proceed with the development of a federal air-sea interaction 

 program, it was first necessary to go through the atmospheric sciences program 

 and the oceanography program in order to identify air-sea interaction research 

 or contributing activities in these programs. Therefore, we attempted to 

 define what we mean by air-sea interaction research. The following definition 

 has been adopted. Research projects must satisfy one or more aspects of the 

 following goals of principal objectives: (l) The development of a soimd body 

 of theoretical and empirical knowledge relative to the processes by which 

 energy transfer and transformation occur in the ocean - atmosphere boundary 

 layers across the entire spectrum of time and space scales and, (2) The 

 identification of those processes which are of critical importance in the 

 prediction of the system's future states, with emphasis on understanding 

 those processes which are susceptible to control by artificial means . 



There are several ways in which one could further categorize research 

 activities and bring some order into the field. One could discuss air-sea 

 problems in terms of micro-scale, meso-scale, and large-scale problems, which 

 may be arbitrary but convenient. However, these terms do not mean the same 

 thing to everybody. We have prepared an Interim Report on federally- supported 

 air-sea interaction research in FY-6U, Fy-65, FY-66. This report summarizes 

 the present program. In the report we speak in terms of (l) dynamics of the 

 boundary layer and turbulence , (2) physics and chemistry of air-sea interface , 

 and (3) large-scale field studies . The last category really encompasses 

 elements of the first two. However, special efforts are required to mount 

 such projects. They may require coordination of a special kind because of 

 use of different systems, platforms, and techniques. They may also require 

 interagency coordination and close cooperation with universities and private 

 research institutions. 



Category I, the "boundary layer dynamics and turbulence" contains 

 subject matters such as: 



I 



