ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES 
The mission of the Environmental Research Laboratories is to study the oceans, inland 
waters, the lower and upper atmosphere, the space environment, and the earth, in search 
of the understanding needed to provide more useful services in improving man’s prospects 
for survival as influenced by the physical environment. Laboratories contributing to these 
studies are: 
Earth Sciences Laboratories (ESL): Geomagnetism, seismology, geodesy, and related 
earth sciences; earthquake processes, internal structure and accurate figure of the Earth, 
and distribution of the Earth’s mass. 
Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratories (AOML): Oceanography, with 
emphasis on the geology and geophysics of ocean basins, oceanic processes, sea-air inter- 
actions, hurrican research, and weather modification (Miami, Florida). 
Pacific Oceanographic Laboratories (POL): Oceanography; geology and geophysics of 
the Pacific Basin and margins; oceanic processes and dynamics; tsunami generation, propa- 
gation, modification, detection, and monitoring (Seattle, Washington). 
Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry Laboratory (APCL): Cloud physics and precipita- 
tion; chemical composition and nucleating substances in the lower atmosphere; and labora- 
tory and field experiments toward developing feasible methods of weather modification. 
Air Resources Laboratories (ARL): Diffusion, transport, and dissipation of atmospheric 
contaminants; development of methods for prediction and control of atmospheric pollution 
(Silver Spring, Maryland). 
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL): Dynamics and physics of geophysical 
fluid systems; development of a theoretical basis, through mathematical modeling and com- 
puter simulation, for the behavior and properties of the atmosphere and the oceans (Prince- 
ton, New Jersey). 
Research Flight Facility (RFF): Outfits and operates aircraft specially instrumented for 
research; and meets needs of NOAA and other groups for environmental measurements for 
aircraft (Miami, Florida). 
National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL): Tornadoes, squall lines, thunderstorms, 
and other severe local convective phenomena toward achieving improved methods of fore- 
casting, detecting, and providing advance warnings (Norman, Oklahoma). 
Space Environment Laboratory (SEL): Conducts research in solar-terrestrial physics, 
provides services and technique development in areas of environmental monitoring, fore- 
casting, and data archiving. 
4 
Aeronomy Laboratory (AL): Theoretical, laboratory, rocket, and satellite studies of 
WON 
the physical and chemical processes controlling the ionosphere and exosphere of the earth = | 
and other planets. mu 
-—— 
Wave Propagation Laboratory (WPL): Development of new methods for remote sensing $ oO 
of the geophysical environment; special emphasis on propagation of sound waves, and elec- =" 
tromagnetic waves at millimeter, infrared, and optical frequencies. a 
Marine Minerals Technology Center (MMTC): Research into aspects of undersea mining 
of hard minerals: development of tools and techniques to characterize and monitor the 
marine mine environment; prediction of the possible effects of marine mining on the envi- 
ronment; development of fundamental mining technology (Tiburon, California ). 
0 030 
MU 
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION 
BOULDER, COLORADO 80302 
