 when we were discussing kuhn i wrote URL my understanding of the history of plate tectonics is that the magnetic reversal patterns encoded in seafloor basalts were crucial supporting data which suddenly became available only after navy declassification so the adoption curve may be skewed many of the essays in oreskes _plate tectonics_ seem to support this idea sandwell plate tectonics a martian view in this essay i ll describe a few of the important confirmations of plate tectonic theory provided by satellites and ships these tools were largely developed to support the cold war effort and many are labeled geodetic since they are used to make precise measurements of the size and shape of the earth and the spatial variations in the pull of gravity the tools of satellite geodesy are needed for all aspects of global warfare precise satellite tracking and gravity field development are needed for precision satellite surveillance as well as for targeting ballistic missiles the global positioning system is used in all aspects of modern warfare radar altimetery is used or aiming submarine launched ballistic missiles as well as for inertial navigation when submerged the global seismic networks were developed primarily to monitor underground nuclear tests marine magnetometers were developed primarily for detection of submarines multibeam sea floor mapping systems were developed primarily for surveying critical and operational areas of the northern oceans and the navy was in no hurry to declassify any of these data as any uneven coverage could have revealed the parts of the oceans they found most interesting dave what do our seismic networks say about the middle east i hazily recall a story about la reporters asking their local geophysicists about an early morning quake to be told that as far as could be figured the epicenter was at a negative depth travelling near mach speed and presumably headed towards edwards 