Chapter 9 Federal Support Services 



The conduct of basic marine science is de- 

 pendent on the existence of a wide variety of 

 technical support services usually provided by the 

 Federal Government. Such support services are 

 usually provided to meet many needs beyond 

 those of research, such as the needs of those 

 groups involved in ocean resource development, 

 marine transportation, or the general pubhc. 

 Among the most important of the services for 

 research are those dealing with mapping and 

 charting, navigation and data management. 



The panel has sought to identify the special 

 needs of the research scientist for such services, to 

 identify deficiencies that currently exist, and to 

 make recommendations for their remedy. 



I. MAPPING AND CHARTING 



Maps and charts of the bathymetry, geophysics 

 (gravity, magnetics) and geology (sediment char- 

 acteristics, geologic structure, etc.) are necessary 

 for the conduct of basic science. Such maps and 

 charts, frequently prepared to serve other needs, 

 such as navigation, resource exploration, or na- 

 tional security, have proven invaluable. Programs 

 such as that recommended by the National 

 Academy of Sciences' for systematic deep ocean 

 surveys have had as their principal objective the 

 needs of basic science. The more detailed the 

 geologic chart, the more insight one gains into the 

 nature of the geological processes. Thus, the effort 

 that can be expended is almost unlimited, and it is 

 necessary to derive criteria for determining the 

 level of effort. 



The panel has examined the recommendation 

 of the Resources Panel on the mapping and 

 charting needs for the resource development of the 

 Continental Shelf and concurs with recommenda- 

 tions that bathymetric charts of 1:250,000 scale 

 for the entire U.S. continental shelves and slopes 

 be compiled within 15 to 20 years by the 

 appropriate Federal agencies. We emphasize the 

 importance of conducting gravity, magnetic, and 

 sub-bottom reflection surveys simultaneously with 



the bathymetry, all keyed to the same navigational 

 control. 



We concur also with the recommendation con- 

 cerning preparation of geological maps and three- 

 dimensional analyses of the continental margins. 

 We emphasize the importance of multi-disciplinary 

 analyses of the cores that will be obtained from 

 the 100 holes of 500 to 5,000 feet deep that are 

 contemplated being drilled by the Federal agencies 

 for the purposes of supplying the data for three- 

 dimensional analyses. Besides mineralogical and 

 geological analyses, such cores should also be 

 studied for their paleontology and geochemistry. 



^Oceanography 1966, National Academy of Sciences- 

 National Research CouncU, Pub. No. 1492, 1967. 



Figure 20. Comparison of subsurface sediments 

 simultaneously taken with conventional and up- 

 dated bottom profilers indicate improvement 

 possible with newer equipment. (Woods Hole 

 Oceanographic Institution photo) 



The information they can furnish on past climates 

 and sedimentation mechanisms is of high potential 

 scientific value. 



Most survey work has as its primary objective a 

 purpose other than basic science, for example, 

 navigation, national defense, mineral exploration. 



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