- k8 - 



actual tracklines throughout much of the area will of necessity be determined 

 in the field on the basis of the results being obtained. 



From the Andaman Sea, the PIONEER on about April 1^ will move into the Bay 

 of Bengal. Underway operations including tows with the IIOE standard net 

 and standard IIOE meteorological observations will continue along l6°N to 

 approximately 88°E, thence north to l8°N and east at least to the 100- fathom 

 curve off the coast of Burma,, By sawtooth legs along the slope west of the 

 Burmese coastal islands, PIONEER will proceed northwest to 20°N. On this 

 portion of the track, special attention will be paid to investigating the 

 offshore continuation of structual features of the Arakan arc. Offshore 

 basins are possibly the result of Tertiary or recent faulting. Dredge 

 sampling will be made as appears practical. PIONEER on reaching 20°N will 

 move west across the Ganges Canyon to 88°E, and from there direct to 

 Calcutta. 



.Any topographic, magnetic, gravity, sub- surface structural or other anomaly 

 found along these tracks will be investigated more fully as deemed practical 

 by the Captain in consultation with the scientists concerned. 



Special care will be taken along these east-west lines to look for any 

 indications of the southerly extension of the Ganges Canyon. This feature has 

 been surveyed in some detail by the Pakistan Navy as far as the edge of the 

 continental shelf. Lines run by the GALATHEA showed it to extend beyond the 

 shelf, but its southerly extent is unknown. It is possible that the valley 

 found by the ALBATROSS east of Ceylon and the leveed channel reported by 

 Knauss as having been crossed at the Equator at 8T°E may be southerly con- 

 tinuations of this canyon. 



At Calcutta the PIONEER will remain from April 20 to 28 for refueling, 

 provisioning, some change of personnel, open house, and a series of lectures 

 and meetings with local scientists. The U. S. Information Service at Calcutta 

 reports that six institutions have already offered to cooperate -- the Geological 

 Survey of India, Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta University, Jadavpur 

 University, the Bose Institute, and the Association for the Cultivation of 

 Science. Two days of scientific sessions will be planned in addition to open 

 house on at least two days . 



Additional personnel: 



Dr. Harris B. Stewart, Jr., C&GS 



Dr, Robert E. Burns, C&GS 



Mr. Reginald Harbison (Electrosonic Profiler), C&GS 



Mr. Austin Weeks (Electrosonic Profiler), C&GS 



Mr. Byron Hale (deep-sea camera), C&GS 



57 



