bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introduction to Tides: The Tides of the Waters of New England and New York
Authors: Bowman Malcolm J.
Published: October 2011

This interesting little book is not really about what its main title suggests, an introductory text on tides for oceanography students. Its subtitle gives more of a clue to its contents and intended readership. The author immediately points out in the preface that ‘this book is written for the many intelligent people who work or play along the coast between Sandy Hook and the Bay of Fundy.’

In addition to discussing elementary tidal theory, the book describes in some detail the author's systematic analysis of coastal tides and currents in the New England and New York region. His analysis fits the solution of the telegrapher's equation to Tide Table predictions of tidal elevations and times of high water and slack current. In this way, Redfield separates the observed M2 tides in various straits, embayments, hydraulic channels, and estuaries into damped, progressive waves travelling in opposite directions. These waves arise through reflection of the primary wave at the head of an embayment or estuary, or through two primary waves entering a tidal strait or hydraulic channel from both ends.
AGU Panel meets on career topics
Authors: Hollister Charles
Published: October 2011

Graduate students and their career opportunities in ocean and earth sciences were the focus of the Education and Human Resources (E & HR) Committee meeting held at the 1982 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco. A standing committee of AGU, the E & HR committee is responsible for matters concerning education in earth, ocean, and planetary sciences from precollege through graduate programs, including career guidance, academic preparation, student recruitment, and manpower supply and demand.

At the meeting a draft of the AGU‐sponsored Careers in Oceanography booklet by committee chairman C. Hollister was thoroughly discussed and a new draft will emerge soon for final approval. The booklet is designed to complement the Careers in Geophysics booklet recently published by AGU; the booklets contain information about planning a career, job opportunities, educational requirements, and a synopsis of where the prospective student might apply.
New weather index
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Delaware have refined the wind‐chill factor, a common measurement of weather discomfort, into a new misery register called the weather stress index. In addition to the mix of temperature and wind speed data used to calculate wind chill, the recipe for the index adds two new ingredients—humidity and a dash of benchmark statistics—to estimate human reaction to weather conditions. NOAA says that the weather stress index estimates human reaction to weather conditions and that the reaction depends on variations from the ‘normal’ conditions in the locality involved.

Discomfort criteria for New Orleans, La., and Bismarck, N.D., for example, differ drastically. According to NOAA, when it's the middle of winter and it's −10°C with a relative humidity of 80% and 24 km/h winds, persons in New Orleans would be highly stressed while those in Bismarck wouldn't bat an eye.
Synchrotron uses
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

The geological and materials sciences have a number of common interests and interfaces, according to a report recently issued by the National Academy Press. Entitled Fostering Increased Cooperation Between the Geological and Material Sciences, the report provides a relatively low‐key comparison of areas of common ground between the two sciences; it identifies no major issues of disagreement and thus has no axes to grind. Instead, the report is a short, soft‐sell discussion of the burgeoning revolutions taking place in the more applied sectors of the geological and condensed matter or solid‐state sciences. The material sciences are receiving a wealth of experience with highly complex mineralogical and geological materials and advances in the applications of analytical techniques that had been originated by solid‐state scientists for the study of metals and single compounds. In turn, the earth sciences are receiving new techniques and theories from the material sciences.
[Comment on] Bottom water
Authors: Schnitker Detmar
Published: October 2011

I read with great interest your writeup on the ‘Mysteries of Bottom Water’ in the March issue of The Oceanography Report (Eos, March 1, 1983, p. 83).

I can recall the time, not so very long ago, when some very prominent physical oceanographers dismissed the notion advanced by paleo‐oceanographers that the deep ocean environment is far from steady. It is nice to see them come around, some of them even to start to pay attention to what paleo‐oceanographers have to say.
Solar flares increased in 1982
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Geomagnetic storms and solar flares occurred more frequently in 1982 (3 years after the solar maximum of the current 11‐year sunspot cycle) than is usual for that portion of the cycle. Among the most notable events were two X‐12 flares and one X‐7 flare. Although less intense, the X‐7 flare triggered the most fierce geomagnetic storm in a decade; it distorted the earth's magnetic field, disrupted long‐range communications and low‐frequency navigational systems, interfered with ham radio activities, and spread a brilliant auroral display over much of the nation.

Solar flares are divided into three classes depending on the output of X radiation: the common C class, the moderate M class, and the intensive X class. The numerical designation indicates the level of radiation intensity; an X‐12, which is t h e most intense that instruments can measure, is 12 times more intense than an X‐1 . An X‐1 flare releases 10 times more radiation than an M‐1, and 100 times more than a C‐1.
3He/4He values in natural diamonds
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

Values of the 3He/4He ratio in natural diamond crystals appear to be higher than the so‐called primordial ratios observed in meteorites, according to a recent report by Minoru Ozima and Shigeo Zashu of the Geophysical Institute at the University of Tokyo (Science, March 4, 1983). The values obtained from helium fractions of 13 diamonds ranged from less than 10−7 to 3.2±0.25×10−4, indicating a rather large enrichment of primitive helium. The measured ratios are close to those for solar‐type helium.

The significance of those determinations could be two‐fold, raising questions about the interpretation of helium isotope ratios from other surface samples and from other terrestrial sources. A possibility is that the diamonds may have originated in a deep, chemically isolated, and decoupled part of the earth's mantle. The problem is that this decoupling would have to be total, implying essentially no communication of the deep mantle with the rest of the earth. Ozima and Zashu prefer to think that the diamonds themselves preserved the helium ratio of a very primitive environment by being unusually depleted in uranium and thorium. This latter explanation, if correct, would mean that in at least one case, i.e., these diamonds, one cannot determine the geological evolution of 3He/4He reliably.
Grant to Cornell
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

A $250,000 grant from the Atlantic Richfield Foundation to Cornell University will be used to support construction of the university's new geological sciences building. Construction and furnishings for the new building will cost $11.2 million, with an additional $2 million for a maintenance endowment. The university has raised more than $8.5 million for the project, which is scheduled to be completed in July 1984.

The four‐level complex of classrooms, laboratories, offices, and specialized facilities will be named in honor of William E. Snee, a 1924 Cornell graduate who was a leader in petroleum exploration and whose estate has provided a major bequest for the benefit of Cornell's geological sciences department.
Clash over NOAA budget
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

At the April 26 hearing on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) budget by a Senate Appropriations subcommittee, Sen. Lowell P. Weicker, Jr . (R‐Conn.), decried the budget cuts proposed by NOAA and the Reagan Administration. ‘I think it would be almost criminal’ to agree to the proposed cuts, Weicker said, adding that although he understands the broad policy to trim the budget, the proposed cuts amounted to ‘piecemeal emasculation … I won't be part of it.’

‘I cannot help but note with regret that for the third year in a row the Administration proposed drastic reductions in oceans‐related research and development,’ said Weicker during the hearing conducted by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, and the Judiciary. ‘The proposed 37% cut in funding for fisheries programs combined with a 40% cut in other oceans and coastal activities would add up to an $85 million loss for NOAA's oceans programs. To make cuts of this magnitude would be, in effect, to write off the great potential the oceans have for feeding our people and helping to power our economy,’ the Connecticut senator said. ‘In short, the potential of the oceans as well as the pressures placed upon them have never been so great—and they will be even greater tomorrow. In the face of Administration indifference and outright hostility, Congress must maintain its commitment to the oceans and to the positive contributions they can make to our future.’
Geophysical events
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

This is a summary of SEAN Bulletin, 8(3), March 31, 1983, a publication of the Smithsonian Institution. The entire Etna, Kliuchevskoi, and Hunter Island reports are included; also included here is the report on Asama, which will appear in volume 8, number 4. The earthquake report is an excerpt.

The complete bulletin is available in the microfiche edition of Eos as a microfiche supplement or as a paper reprint. Subscriptions to SEAN Bulletin are also available. For the microfiche, order document E83—004 at $2.50 from AGU Fulfillment, 2000 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20009. For reprints, order SEAN Bulletin (give volume and issue numbers and issue date) through AGU Separates; $3.50 for one copy of each issue number for those who do not have a deposit account; $2 for those who do; additional copies of each issue number are $1.00. For a subscription, order SEAN Bulletin from AGU Fulfillment. The price is $18.00 for 12 monthly issues mailed to a United States address;; $28.00 (U.S.) if mailed elsewhere. Order must be prepaid.
Stellar cannibalism
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Astronomers have obtained evidence that stars can literally swallow other stars, leading to the ejection of stellar material into space and the formation of extremely close pairs of stars, according to the National Science Foundation (NSF). The discovery supports theoretical predictions of the evolution of double stars.

While studying the central stars of planetary nebulae—disk‐shaped gas clouds that vaguely resemble planets—Albert D. Grauer of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Howard E. Bond of Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge found that several of these central stars are actually very close stellar pairs. Previously, it had been thought that the central star in a planetary nebula was a single star that expelled a gas cloud as it neared the end of its life. Their latest discovery, the central star of planetary nebula Abell 41, consists of a pair of stars that orbit each other in 2 hours and 43 minutes. The researchers also have found three other central star pairs that have orbital periods of between 11 and 16 hours.
Francis W. Reichelderfer 1895–1983
Authors: Hughes Patrick
Published: October 2011

Francis W. Reichelderfer, who died January 26, 1983, introduced modern forecasting techniques to U.S. military and civilian weather prediction and spearheaded their dissemination throughout the world. When Reichelderfer retired as Chief of the U.S. Weather Bureau in 1963, Secretary of Commerce Luther H. Hodges declared that, “You are leaving a legacy of the world's largest and most sophisticated weather system … During your tour of duty, your leadership and inspiration guided meteorologists throughout the world to work toward the common goal of a truly global weather system.” President Kennedy and former Presidents Truman and Eisenhower sent letters of appreciation. In addition, Reichelderfer received gifts and messages from more than 50 other nations in recognition of his many contributions to the development of modern meteorology. Reichelderfer himself said that he had been fortunate “always to have been in the right place at the right time.”
New atmospheric program
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The National Science Foundation's Division of Atmospheric Sciences has established an Upper Atmospheric Facilities program within its Centers and Facilities section. The program will support the operation of and the scientific research that uses the longitudinal chain of incoherent scatter radars. The program also will ensure that the chain is maintained as a state‐of‐the‐art research tool available to all interested and qualified scientists.

For additional information, contact Richard A. Behnke, Division of Atmospheric Sciences, National Science Foundation, 1800 G Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20550 (telephone: 202‐357‐7390).
Science jobs tight
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

In the latest report of the College Placement Council it was noted that a recovery of sorts may be underway for recent graduates in science, engineering, or technology. Based on a survey of 185 placement offices at 160 colleges and universities, the College Placement Survey concluded in its April 1983 report that only one half as many job offers in science, engineering, and technology fields were reported this year, compared with the same time last year. However, although fewer offers were made, more jobs were filled.

Petroleum engineering graduates have commanded the highest beginning salaries of all fields this spring. The average salary offered to petroleum engineers in the class of 1983 is $31,044 per year, almost a 2% increase over last year's starting salary for the same discipline. In second place are chemical engineering graduates who are being offered average starting salaries of $27,336 per year, about 1% higher than last year's figure.
Atmospheric instruments
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Atmospheric Sciences is now accepting proposals requesting only specialized research equipment or instrumentation. The division, within the Directorate for Astronomical, Atmospheric, Earth, and Ocean Sciences (AAEO), aims to echo the theme of increased support for instrumentation of the NSF fiscal 1984 budget request to Congress.

Guidelines for proposals for specialized research equipment and instrumentation are the same as those for research proposals. Each potential major user should describe the research projects for which the equipment will be used. Some institutional contribution is encouraged for the equipment proposals. For additional information on the submission of instrumentation proposals, contact the specific program director in the grant programs section (see list below) or in the new Upper Atmospheric Facilities program in NSF's Centers and Facilities section (see related news item this issue). Guidelines for proposal preparation can be found in NSF publication 81–79, Grants for Scientific and Engineering Research.
Earliest mass extinction
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Scientists have uncovered evidence that points to a major mass extinction that wiped out many types of one‐celled algae 650 million years ago, near the end of the Precambrian era, according to the National Science Foundation (NSF). Prior to this discovery, the oldest known major extinction had been in the Ordovician Period, some 450 million years ago, when many species of shell‐covered marine animals disappeared.

This Precambrian mass extinction was found at several places in the northeast Atlantic region, including Spitsbergen, the Baltic, and eastern Greenland, Andrew H. Knoll, an associate professor of biology at Harvard University, explained. Knoll, whose research was funded by NSF, was working with Gonzalo Vidal, professor of geology at Lund University, when they uncovered their finding.
U.S. to aid coastal research
Authors: Katsouros Mary Hope
Published: October 2011

Prior to the 1964 implementation of the 1958 Convention on the Continental Shelf, oceanographers were free to plan and carry out research projects virtually anywhere on or under the seas of the world (see Article 5(1) and 5(8)). Today, dozens of coastal nations regulate marine research within 200 nautical miles (370 km) of their shores, imposing increasingly severe restrictions and creating diverse and uncertain consent procedures. Both the Reagan administration and Congress have acted recently to alleviate some of these jurisdictional problems being experienced by U.S. marine scientists.

On March 10, 1983, President Reagan issued a proclamation on the “Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States of America” and related statements. It is the accompanying “Statement by the President” and the “Fact Sheet” on “United States Oceans Policy” (all three of which are dated March 10), rather than the proclamation, that outline the U.S. position on the conduct of marine scientific research. The “Statement by the President” declares that, While international law provides for a right of jurisdiction over marine scientific research within such a zone, the proclamation does not assert this right. I have elected not to do so because of the United States' interest in encouraging marine scientific research and avoiding any unnecessary burdens. The United States will nevertheless recognize the right of other coastal states to exercise jurisdiction over marine scientific research within 200 nautical miles of their coasts, if that jurisdiction is exercised reasonably in a manner consistent with international law. The “Fact Sheet” states that, The President has decided not to assert jurisdiction over marine scientific research in the United States EEZ [Exclusive Economic Zone]. This is consistent with U.S. interest in promoting maximum freedom for such research. The Department of State will take steps to facilitate access by U.S. scientists to foreign EEZ's under reasonable conditions.
NRC committees on oceanography
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

The dust now is settling from last year's restructuring of the National Research Council (NRC) from seven assemblies and commissions to three commissions, two offices, and an independent board (Eos, April 27, 1982, p. 250, and March 16, 1982, p. 194). The individual committees and boards within these six new units now are moving full‐speed ahead. This information report reviews four of the new boards that touch on oceanography.

Of the all the shifts made to create these four boards, the biggest overhaul involved merging the old Ocean Sciences Board with the old Ocean Policy Committee to form a new Board on Ocean Science and Policy (BOSP) (Eos, May 3, 1983, p. 172).
First subsea seismic station
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The first self‐contained seismic station was installed recently in the ocean floor at a depth of 5.5 km, about 1,600 km southwest of Tahiti, close to the Tonga Trench. The region is thought to be the earth's most active seismic zone. The station will help scientists to determine if the subseafloor is a suitable place for recording seismic events by comparing noise levels with those of land‐based stations and to determine whether marine seismic stations are possible to maintain. Eventually, marine stations could be used to help scientists predict earthquakes.
Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
Authors: Hoover James D.
Published: October 2011

So many new and exciting topics in petrology have appeared over the last several years that it has become difficult to find a text that deals adequately with fundamentals as well as current topics; the present book may be one of the better texts in its field today because it achieves this combination with clarity and appropriate emphasis. The book provides a comprehensive coverage of descriptive, theoretical, and experimental topics. The relationship between the origin and evolution of igneous and metamorphic rocks and the associated physical and tectonic processes is the unifying theme of the text.

The book is intended as a text for undergraduate geology majors with a background in physical and historical geology and mineralogy. It is divided into four main categories: magmatic rock bodies, magmatic systems, metamorphic bodies and systems, and the early history of the earth and other planetary bodies. The organization of the first three of these sections is intended to be flexible in scope, emphasis, and variety of subject matter. Each chapter is outlined, prefaced with an overview of the section, and summarized in outline form. Key terms appear in bold type, and study questions are provided in interpretive chapters. Breadth and clarity of subject matter is emphasized, and good use is made of figures, tables, and photographs of rocks in the field, in hand specimen, and in thin section. The appendix contains a summary of some petrographic techniques, a review of the physical and optical properties of some rock‐forming minerals, and representative chemical analyses of some major rock types.
Methane in association with seismic activity
Authors: Oremland Ronald S.
Published: October 2011

It has been hypothesized that upward movement of vast quantities of methane gas from the earth's mantle is a causative agent of earthquakes [Gold, 1979]. Much of this hypothesis rests on accounts of flames and/or loud, booming noises (“brontides”) accompanying seismic events, possibly caused by the explosive release of this “primordial” methane to the atmosphere [Claflin‐Chalton and Mac‐Donald, 1978; Gold and Soter, 1979]. This speculation has generated much controversy because it implies a nonbiological origin for petroleum, as well as the presence of an abundant, potentially harvestable supply of energy in the mantle [e.g., Nature, 1982; Eos, 1983]. However, there is a paucity of experimental data to either support or contradict this hypothesis. Because of this continuing, unresolved controversy, I have decided to publish some observations made several years ago with respect to methane emanations during an earthquake that struck near Mammoth Lakes, Calif. [Oremland, 1979]. It is of significance that this region lies in close proximity to Owens Valley where accounts exist of flames emanating from the ground during the 1872 earthquake [Claflin‐Chalton and MacDonald, 1978; Gold, 1979].
NEXRAD negotiations
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Two firms have been selected for negotiation for preproduction models of NEXRAD, the next generation weather radar system that aims to improve severe weather forecasting. The 40‐month, cost‐plus‐fixed‐fee contracts, each valued at $20 million, were awarded to Raytheon Co. of Wyland, Mass., and to Sperry Corp. of Great Neck, N.Y., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The contract awards represent the second of four phases in the 10‐year process of the development and deployment of a national weather radar system to replace existing but aging units. One of the companies will be selected in late 1986 for a contract for limited production of the radar units. Full production and installation of the first operational units are expected by early 1988.
Early experience of the SAO Satellite‐Tracking Program
Authors: Pearlman M. R.
Published: October 2011

When Fred L. Whipple of Harvard University assumed the directorship of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) in mid‐1955, he proposed to the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation that the observatory be given responsibility for optical tracking of satellites during the IGY of 1957–1958. Several countries had expressed their intentions to launch satellites during the 18‐month period to support research in ionospheric and upper atmospheric physics, including the effects of solar flares and solar radiation, and in geodesy and geophysics. On the basis of his experience at the Harvard College observatory with the Super‐Schmidt cameras for meteor photography, Whipple was confident that optical tracking could provide a powerful means of monitoring satellite positions. The proposal was accepted in late 1955, and it was assumed that the total observing program would last only 18 months and would involve only a few satellites.
Ice, oceans, and isotopes
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

New ideas on high rates of glaciation and deglaciation have suggested changes in currently accepted ideas about the glacial periods and their causes. At the same time, new studies are being done on deep ocean isotope fractionation phenomena. These phenomena are similar to those defining glacial periods, and the new studies have raised questions about paleoclimate analysis for the time span just preceding the glaciers.

The broad variety of explanations for the glacial epochs in the northern hemisphere beginning about 15 million years ago and the lack of sufficient data on the epochs appear to be the result of low precision in correlation between land and ocean methods. Among the many correlations are factors related to the oxygen isotope temperature scale obtained from analysis of marine invertebrate specimens.
New AGU mineral physics committee
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

A new Committee on Mineral Physics consisting of Orson Anderson (chairman), Peter Bell, Raymond Jeanloz, Robert Lieberman, Murli Manghnani, Alexandra Navrotsky, Tom Shankland, Joseph E. Smith, and Donald Weidner has been approved by the AGU Executive Committee.

The increasing number of research groups in an area that combines the study of mineral properties and solid state sciences (materials research) created the impetus for this new committee. At AGU meetings, mineral physics studies have been included in recent years in sessions of Volcanology, Petrology, and Geochemistry and sessions of Tectonophysics. A portion of the charter for the new committee includes arranging special sessions for mineral physics that would bridge the two sections.
Leveling in earthquake area
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is performing first‐order geodetic leveling in the Coalinga, Calif., area. The project, which is being funded by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), is intended to measure vertical height differences associated with recent Coalinga earthquakes.

The largest of the earthquakes occurred on May 2 with magnitude 6.5 (Richter scale). More than 1,500 aftershocks have followed, including two on May 8, which were magnitude 5.5. Damage estimates exceeded $30 million (see Eos, May 26, p. 387). No loss of life was reported, but 1,000 residents were displaced.
VLBI observations
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

From the centers of quasars calculated to have velocities 10 times greater than that of light—the Einsteinian constant of the universe—astronomers are finding explanations of Doppler effect red shifts of emission. Very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) arrays have been used to examine the cores of seven known radio sources in space that are characterized by superluminal velocities, and a significant amount of knowledge has been gained about red‐shift phenomena of plasma sources. Milliarcsecond resolution of VLBI techniques allows observers to examine in detail central structures of radio sources.

According to a discussion of observers at the recent superluminal workshop held at the Jodrell Bank Observatory, U.K., February 1983, “The last six years have brought a great increase in reliability of results, particularly because of the use of VLBI arrays…” (Nature, April 28, 1983). This reliability has resulted in a compilation of properties of radio‐source core structures. The steep frequency‐shifted radio spectrum of a superluminal structure is apparently caused by rapidly extending plasma jets. The discussion provides the following explanation of a relativistic jet: “…a relativistically moving stream of plasma emanating from the core…[which]… is identified with the base of the jet. … The ‘moving’ components are shocks or plasmons moving down the jet, which point toward the observers in the case of superluminal sources” (Nature, April 28, 1983). The idea is that illusions of Doppler effect red shifts can be produced by high‐energy physical phenomena other than simple velocity effects. Even in the case of a source moving away from an observer with a relative velocity less than the speed of light, an illusion of superluminal velocity results because the angle of view is small (“because the observer's view of the early part of the motion is delayed with respect to the later parts, and hence the apparent duration of the motion is shortened” (Nature, April 28, 1983)).
Geophysical events
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

This is a summary of SEAN Bulletin, 8(5), May 31, 1983, a publication of the Smithsonian Institution. The complete bulletin is available in the microfiche edition of Eos as a microfiche supplement or as a paper reprint. Subscriptions to SEAN Bulletin are also available. For the microfiche, order document E83–006 at $2.50 from AGU Fulfillment, 2000 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20009. For reprints, order SEAN Bulletin (give volume and issue numbers and issue date) through AGU Separates; $3.50 for one copy of each issue number for those who do not have a deposit account; $2 for those who do; additional copies of each issue number are $1.00. For a subscription, order SEAN Bulletin from AGU Fulfillment. The price is $18.00 for 12 monthly issues mailed to a United States address; $28.00 (U.S.) if mailed elsewhere. Order must be prepaid.
Drilling reorganizes
Authors: Richman Barbara T.
Published: October 2011

As the first in a proposed series of steps that would move scientific ocean drilling from its own niche within the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Directorate for Astronomical, Atmospheric, Earth, and Ocean Sciences (AAEO) into the agency's Division of Ocean Sciences, Grant Gross, division director, has been appointed acting director of the Office of Scientific Ocean Drilling (OSOD). Gross will retain the directorship of the division, which also is part of AAEO. Allen M. Shinn, Jr., OSOD director for nearly 2 years, has been reassigned effective July 10 to a position in NSF's Office of Planning and Resource Management.

The move aims to tie drilling operations more closely to the science with which it is associated, Gross said. This first step is an organizational response to the current leaning toward using a commercial drilling vessel as the drilling platform, he said. Before the market for such commercial drill ships opened (Eos, February 22, 1983, p . 73), other ship options for scientific ocean drilling included refurbishing the aging Glomar Challenger or renovating, at great expense, the Glomar Explorer. A possible next step in the reorganization is to make OSOD the third section within the Ocean Sciences Division. Currently, the division is divided into the Oceanographic Facilities and Support Section and the Ocean Sciences Research Section.
Ocean science leadership—A desperate need that could be met
Authors: Vetter Dick
Published: October 2011

U.S. ocean science is at a critical stage. Though many exciting discoveries have been made recently, the field has been essentially level funded for several years, costs of operations are increasing faster than inflation, and there is no reasonable expectation for much improvement in the near future. At the same time, new technologies that are “off the shelf” or just over the horizon can provide orders of magnitude increases in precision, rates of data acquisition, and synoptic ocean‐basinscale and even global‐scale coverage of ocean phenomena. The use of these technologies (for a price) would result in substantial advances in understanding fundamental oceanographic problems (such as the global ocean circulation) during the next decade. Several large‐scale, regional programs to start this process are on the drawing boards or in advanced stages of planning. Clearly, there are more ideas for utilizing the talents of our nation's oceanographers than there are reasonably obtainable funds or talent to undertake them.
IUGG Quadrennial Report Overview: Solar‐Planetary Relationships: Aeronomy 1979–1982
Authors: Stolarski Richard S.
Published: October 2011

Aeronomy is the study of the physics and chemistry of the upper atmosphere. The upper atmosphere is usually defined as the region of the atmosphere above the tropopause extending upward to the point where electric and magnetic fields dominate the phenomena rather than the atmospheric atoms and molecules. The lower part of this region, from about 10 to 90 kilometers altitude, has become known as the middle atmosphere. An international program called MAP (Middle Atmosphere Program) is now underway to intensively study this region. Three reviews of work in the middle atmosphere appear in this volume covering the composition, dynamics, and electrodynamics. Susan Solomon's paper, “Minor Constituents in the Stratosphere and Mesosphere,” documents the continued growth in knowledge concerning the composition of the middle atmosphere, the mechanisms which maintain this composition, and its possible response to outside influences. Dennis Hartman's review, “Middle Atmosphere Dynamics,” examines the large‐scale dynamics and climatology of the middle atmosphere, particularly pointing out the importance of the introduction of transformed Eulerian mean equations for dynamics and transport and the realization of the importance of gravity waves for the momentum budget of the stratosphere. Michael Kelley's review, “Middle Atmosphere Electrodynamics,” discusses a variety of new techniques that have been used to obtain “existing and controversial” results including large (several volt/meter) fair weather electric fields in the mesosphere.
El Chichón data
Authors: Roise W. I.
Published: October 2011

The March–April 1982 eruptions of El Chichón have produced the largest atmospheric impact of any eruption since at least Krakatau in 1883. The main geological variable that is responsible is the abnormally high S content of the erupted magma. The ultimate souce of this sulfur is still unresolved.

Some highlights of the scientific papers dealing with the eruptions and presented at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, December 10–11, are discussed below. (The abstracts are in Eos, November 9, 1982, pp 897–898, 900–902, and 1126–1127.)
Geodesy 1979–1982
Authors: Chovitz Bernard H.
Published: October 2011

The growing interaction of geodesy with its kindred disciplines, oceanography and tectonophysics, may have been the most significant trend in geodetic activity during this past quadrennium. Geodetic observing systems are now capable of measuring so much more precisely (to the centimeter level) and over such a broader extent (like the oceans), that their results add materially to knowledge of crustal and mantle structure, of ocean bottom relief, and of oceanic circulation. Especially important is the application of precise, repetitive geodetic measurements to the detection and analysis of time‐varying effects. Examples are the utilization of altimeter data to yield ocean boundary current changes, and of radio interferometry and laser ranging to systematically monitor polar motion, earth rotation, and crustal movements
Synchrotron advances
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Mineral physics studies, which gain precision as time decreases during a measurement, will benefit greatly from the availability of beams existing from synchrotron facilities. Unusually intense radiation is emitted from a synchrotron in the broad spectral range from the infrared through the X ray region and beyond. For example, X rays, which are released from such a facility at intensities of 105 times those of conventional generators, can be used for studies of mineral structures, such as XFAS (X ray fine structure) and photoionization, which were unthought of only a decade ago.

One reason for this new capability is that accessories for synchrotrons called wigglers and undulators have evolved from the laboratory‐curiosity stage to useful devices during the same period. These new devices step up the brilliance (flux per steradian for a unit source area of a narrow wavelength band) of a synchrotron‐produced beam and can be adjusted so as to extend the spectral range of the radiation. The truth is that most of the old and even the new synchrotrons were designed or planned without the knowledge that wigglers and undulators would be successful, according to a recent report (Physics Today, June 1983).
1983 AGU Spring Meeting Report
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Attendees at AGU's 1983 Spring Meeting once again found Baltimore to be a very hospitable, convenient, and delightful place and the Convention Center to be an excellent meeting facility. There were 2100 attendees, and 1400 papers were presented. Changes to the program and additional, late, and revised abstracts are printed below.
Solar‐planetary relationships: Cosmic rays 1979–1982
Authors: Shea M. A.
Published: October 2011

The reviews of cosmic ray studies (1979–1982) cover a broad area reflecting the present scope of this discipline. Cosmic ray physics transcended the narrow restricted specialties of composition, flux, and modulation long ago. In fact, the cosmic ray energy regime appears to be anything above “thermal” (a remark attributed to Professor Bruno Rossi). At the present time, the relationship of cosmic ray studies to solar‐terrestrial physics encompasses an extremely wide range of interrelated and associated astrophysical phenomena from the sun to the interplanetary medium and throughout the domain of the heliosphere. Because solar‐terrestrial and astrophysical processes impress their signature on the cosmic ray flux, it is quite natural to look for these effects in the cosmic radiation data. For this reason, the reviews associated with cosmic rays cover solar activity, shocks and associated structure in the interplanetary medium, composition and modulation, and long‐term effects.
World petroleum supplies
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

A number of conclusions by political conservatives about the fate of world petroleum supplies have been emerging lately. Among the most recent of them arose from discussions, held at the 1983 spring meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which focused on the environment and resource study entitled “The Global 2000 Report” (New Scientist, June 9, 1983). Fred Singer, representing the Heritage Foundation of Washington, D.C., criticized the report, which predicted shortages in the near future, saying that the current world‐wide oil glut will continue beyond the year 2000. Alternatives to the use of petroleum are a part of the cause. Singer argued that conservation, nuclear energy, and other petroleum substitutes will continue to suppress the demand for petroleum. In addition, according to other evaluations, exploration for petroleum and natural gas has not really begun.
Meteorology 1979–1982
Authors: Taylor Ronald C.
Published: October 2011

The Atmospheric Sciences section contains 12 papers; most of the topics have been reviewed in previous reports, though not always in each one. Thus, atmospheric electricity has not been reviewed for the past eight years, and mesoscale meteorology was not reviewed in the last report. Regretably, atmospheric chemistry is not reviewed in this one (but see the six reviews listed at the end of these remarks).

Though the following 12 reviews discuss a broad variety of topics, a common theme emerges in many of them: the significance of new instrumentation or cognate device for making improved measurements of the atmosphere. Balsley and Gage give a systematic discussion of this theme; I will mention only three devices which seem to offer unusual promise: VHF (50 MHz) doppler radar, linear polarization for meteorological radar, and lidar. The VHF radar, particularly the Magnetospheric‐Stratospheric‐Tropospheric (MST) phased array, is capable of measuring the three‐dimensional field of motion with a vertical resolution and temporal sequence far beyond any conventional technique; its configuraton is flexible and is readily portable. Polarization techniques applied to existing meteorological radars are capable of measuring the evolution and distribution of water drops in clouds, and thus, inferring more accurate rainfall rates; the technique may also offer a new means of distinguishing ice and water in clouds. Though lidars have been used in the past to identify and track aerosols, additional options for using lidar to measure winds, temperature, moisture, and trace chemical constituents are now emerging; such measurements may be made from either satellites, aircraft, or the earth's surface.
New marine geology center
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Marine geologists at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, have created a new Center for Marine Geology. The formation of the center is part of a university‐wide effort to extend interests in marine research in all directions, Director James M. Hall said. The center, formed in April, will be a focus for the expansion of research in marine geology, for the development of marine instrumentation, for the expansion of advanced training of Third World geologists in marine geology, and for the university's interaction with the petroleum industry involved in a major play in the areas off the eastern Canadian shore, Hall said.
Diamonds and carbon isotopes
Authors: Bell Peter M.
Published: October 2011

Diamond crystals may contain useful geochemical evidence of the deep portions of the upper mantle in their carbon isotopes. Two recent studies of types I and II diamonds showed that variations in δ13C may be related to carbon reservoir sources in the mantle (Nature, 303, 791–792, and 793–795, 1983). In the case of type II diamonds, it was noted that there is a strong—although not total— correlation with eclogitic suites. Type II diamonds are low in nitrogen content, which would be consistent with aluminum in their eclogitic inclusions having acted as a nitrogen getter. The range in δ13C values was −0.5 to −31.9‰, which actually is broad enough to include the variations of all known diamonds. With regard to individual crystals, however, it was confirmed that, on average, type II diamonds are isotopically lighter than type I. It is suggested that type II diamonds are a sampling of an open carbon isotope reservoir, with minimal evidence of fractionation. The variability may reflect the influences of recycled crustal material that reacted in the mantle.
Radioactivity in Urals
Authors: Anonymous
Published: October 2011

Interest in the problems due to the radioactive contamination of the environment has been frequently stimulated by rumors of an occurrence of severe contamination of lakes and rivers in areas of the Ural Mountains. Occasional evidence appearing in publications and provided by Soviet emigrants has been pieced together and seems to suggest that there is an ideal opportunity for groundwater geochemists and others to evaluate such major radioactivity in the environment. The reasons that such a study probably will not take place is that the contamination may have been caused for the most part by a nuclear explosion in a Soviet weapons plant.

F. Parker, an environmental scientist at Vanderbilt University, in a study for the Department of Energy, deduced that a large explosion occurred in 1958 at a nuclear fuels reprocessing plant at Kyshtym in the Ural Mountains, according to a recent report (Science, July 8, 1983). The report refers to the original interpretations of Z. Medvedev, a Soviet geneticist, who concluded that nuclear fallout has contaminated a very extensive area around Kyshtym.
1983 James B. Macelwane Awards: Thomas H. Jordan
Authors: Aki Keiiti , Jordan Thomas H.
Published: October 2011

Tom Jordan has made a fundamental contribution to our understanding of the grandest‐ scale problems of the earth's tectonics by stimulating our consciousness about the deeper part of continents. He has stimulated not only seismologists and other geophysicists but also geochemists by introducing the idea of the continental tectosphere.

This idea, of which the origin can be traced to his Ph.D. thesis, has given a unity to his impressive body of work accomplished over the past decade employing a variety of approaches ranging from mathematical to geochemical. It is rare that a scientist at such an early stage of his career conceives an original working hypothesis which then keeps him productive, diversified, and developing consistently over a decade.
Solar Variability, Weather, and Climate
Authors: Berger A.
Published: October 2011

Solar Variability, Weather, and Climate reassesses the question of solar variability and its effects on weather and climate, taking into account new measurements and more recent theories of the earth's atmosphere. The papers, which make up this book, were presented at an American Geophysical Union meeting in December 1978. Besides a review of the current basic knowledge on the topic, fundamental questions requiring additional research form the basis of the conclusions and recommendations.

Eight papers, five stating the background and three the possible mechanisms, comprise the book. Solar, weather, and climate variability and evidence of the effect of solar variations on the atmosphere are reviewed. Solar variability is recognized to exist at different time scales (from minutes to decades), and these variations cover a broad range of the spectral irradiance (from X rays and extreme ultraviolet to the centimeter wavelengths). Regarding total luminosity, the parts of the solar constant that are known to vary constitute less than 1% of the total budget of energy that the earth receives from the sun and is far less than the total energy required to force direct changes in atmospheric circulation. Moreover, the variable portions of the solar output are mainly absorbed or dissipated in the upper atmosphere. Thus, for known solar changes to perturb the dynamics of the troposphere they must work through mechanisms that are complex and indirect. A number of such possible dynamic, radiative, chemical, and electrical couplings of solar inputs through various regions of the atmosphere are discussed in chapters 6, 7, and 8.
1983 John Adam Fleming Award
Authors: Opdyke Neil D. , Runcorn S. Keith
Published: October 2011

Professor Runcorn's career began on a rather auspicious note. In the late forties, as a graduate student under Professor P. M. S. Blackett at Manchester, Runcorn demonstrated, along with others, that the intensity of the earth's magnetic field increases as you go into the earth. This was an outcome contrary to what Professor Blackett had predicted as a result of his theory on the generation of magnetic fields by rotating bodies—in this case, the earth.

After his graduate studies in Manchester, Professor Runcorn returned to Cambridge where he became a Fellow of Gonville and Caius College and Assistant Director of Research in Geophysics. Professor Runcorn and his students immediately set up a laboratory for the study of the magnetism of rocks using the sensitive astatic magnetometers developed by the Blackett group for research on the magnetism of rotating bodies.