339 



Category II, namely, " physics and chemistry at the air-sea Interface " 

 is mostly being done outside the government under contract support. Therefore, 

 I will not go into any details of these projects . 



Category III which we defined as "large-scale field studies" contains a 

 number of activities. As a matter of fact we could place into this category 

 any major investigation of any geographical area. However, I would like to 

 mention at this point that to our knowledge no study is under way at this 

 time which would satisfy the criterion for an "area study" as defined previously. 

 Of course, in the category of large-scale field studies we would describe the 

 work done during the Indian Ocean Expedition, in particular, its marine 

 meteorological and surface oceanographic activities . 



The Navy has a large program in the Arctic which could be considered as 

 a large-scale study. Observations are being obtained from aircraft, satellite, 

 and submarine reconnaisance. The data obtained will reveal time and space 

 distributions of quantities of ice and open water, discrete open water 

 features, and distribution of pressure ridges and ice thickness throughout 

 the Arctic Basin. The data will be used in the development of mathematical 

 models which relate broad scale thermal regimes and motion fields of both 

 media to the ice features. 



The Department of Interior has initiated a trade-wind zone program which 

 represents a quantitative study of the seasonal processes as they relate to 

 the Pacific tradewind system, particularly at the air-sea interface. The 

 area of study here is 10 degrees to 30 degrees North and li(-0 degrees to l80 

 degrees West. This effort will also attempt to define seasonal displacement 

 of the system and lateral changes of heat fluxes across the air-sea interface 

 and to determine climatic regimes and location and strength of the trade-wind 

 systems . 



The Department of Commerce (in addition to Dr. Bryan's work in the 

 theory of ocean circulation, which includes both a wind-driven and thermohaline 

 mode) is mounting now a program along the East Coast which may have some elements 

 of air-sea interaction. Basically an observational program, hydrographic time 

 cross section measurements are planned off South Carolina. The analysis will 

 involve possible meteorological influences on oceanographic parameters. The 

 Weather Bureau increasingly will also make use of its Research Flight Facility, 

 utilizing instrumented aircraft in sampling the atmospheric boundary layer 

 over the ocean in all kinds of meteorological conditions. Further, the Weather 

 Bureau will also continue its storm surge research. 



Where do we go from here? It is undeniable that considerable efforts 

 are being made in air-sea interaction research, and at considerable expendi- 

 ture. Indeed, the Federal Government presently supports this type of research 

 at about a level of $6,000,000 a year. This amount is spent for In-house 

 research activities as well as for contracts and grants to universities and 

 research institutions. 



