" Apollo IX (See Note 3 on p. 17-4). 



Although few photographs of the deep ocean were taken, a definite 

 color formation is present in one. Frame 3588 was taken from 107 M.M. 

 at 12°N and 50°W. I believe that the white streak in the center of the 

 photograph is a result of some error in the development of the photography 

 and not a feature in the ocean or atmosphere. I reviewed satellite 

 pictures of contrails from aircraft and found them to be much thinner 

 and having a shadow. However, this brings up the question of why the 

 astronaut took the photograph, as no other photographs were taken offshore 

 without interesting cloud formations, etc. Perhaps the change in the 

 glitter pattern caused by a convergence zone or wind shear zone caught 

 his eye. It seems to be toward the center of the photograph. Anyway, 

 the color feature I referred to is on the right-hand side of the 

 photograph and appears to be in the general form of a large eddy. 



I believe that color boundaries in the open ocean have definitely been 

 recorded in the nreviousW mentioned Apollo photographs. How general 

 these few photographs are of the total world ocean is impossible to say. 

 No good satellite photographs are available for the Central Pacific Ocean, 

 (it was niqht in the Pacific when the Apollo Vl photographs were taken.) 

 I am sure that some may argue that the color boundaries I have mentioned 

 may be from the outflow of the Amazon or from a large buildup of floating 

 material sometimes found in these regions of the Atlantic and are not 

 indicative of the color changes and boundaries in the world ocean. This 

 may be true; but as of now, it is impossible to prove. I believe the 

 important facts to be considered when we review these photographs are 

 that they were taken far from shore and definitely seem to describe ocean 



17-2 



