The Washington herald., 1922-01-16


Characteristic X-Rays." by DR..
F.H. Mohler.
MONDAY. JANUARY Is. Iezz-
Studying the sea opens a vast
field Of scientific work that must be
accomplished In order that the
commerce. industry and science OF
the world may be advanced. r. Z.
Faris. Of the Coast and Geodetic
Survey of the Department OF Com
merce. told the Philosophical soc,-
ETY. of washington in his address a.
retiring president Saturday night at
the Cosmos clJb.
There are probably no longer any
frontiers on land or sea to explore.
except perhaps some parts of the
polar areas. yet upon the sea there
is one region of 100000 square
miles that has never felt a cast o.
the sounding line. nor much OF other
investigation" Mr.. Faris said.
The extreme depth OF the ocean
has probably been approximately
approached. which now turns out
TO be somewhat IN excess OF 5.299
fathoms (51,so0 feeD. somewhat
more below sea level than the high
est elevation Of the land above the
sea; thus making the summit OF
the highest mountain about ten
geographic miles above the deepest
known depth Of the ocean.
while we now have much In
formation about the physical geog-
raphy of the oceans and detailed
surveys have been made OF their
borders in the more advanced coun-
tries of the world. there yet remains
the larger part ofthe sea coasts 70
be surveyed and mapped by such
modern methods and equipment as
will meet present and future re-
quirements of science. engineering.
and commences especially is this
true Of the coasts OF the Pacific
Ocean, and of the polar regions.
"A knowledge OF the physical
form OF the ocean basins Is funds-
mental TO almost all Of the branches
that go TO make up the whole sci
ence Of the sea. and. together with
other physical facts. Is guide 10
many industrial possibilities exist
ing therein.
In the Atlantic Ocean, beyond
, the l.ooo-fathom depth. there is
now one sounding for about each
10000 square miles: in the Pacific.
one sounding for each "a, 600 square
miles; and in the Indian Ocean on.
sounding for each $4,000 square
miles The depths Of the polar seas
have been explored only TO a most
limited extent or virtually not at
all. Owing TO the methods Of nasi-
cation. and of deep sea sounding.
when the earlier of these soundinES
were recorded. il Is quite possible
that their positions and depths now
ought TO be verified by modern
methods
The major part OF the seacoaStS
OF the world is not yet surveyed and
charted with the accuracy. now
needed. and many thousands q
miles OF coast lines arc not sur
veyed at all. and still other parts
are not even approximately
sketched.
In our own country nine-tenth-
of the coast OF Alaska is not Vet
, surveyed. and the Pacific coast o.
Continental United States Is for tho
large part yet undone. while the
need for IL is urgent and CONNER
cial development is retarded and
delayed.
Only about one-seventN % the
land area OF the world is in anv-
wise mapped. and the form q the
sea bottom is prOportionately not as
well known as the Topography of
the land. The surface Of the sea
holds less OF interest TO mankind
than the surface Of the land. how
ever. 10 the men OF science. the bot
tom OF the ocean. 81 it could be
exposed to view. would no douh;
reveal equally as much OF scientific
and popular interest as the land
surfaces
Up to tho present time rhe total
number OF soundinES that have
been charted in the three larger
oceans beyond the l.OOO-fatnou
depth probably owes not much r.,
ceed 1000. including many - ;rr
earlier ones that ought now to n.
Ncrihcd. both rs TO position and
depth OF water: or an average 81
one sounding for each 1000 sCua-s
miles. To compare this with VIVA.
ought To be dom tn order to ia.r
a complete general deep sea sur rc,-
II should be stated that at least
10000 soundincs are needed. spaced
at intervals Of about thirty miles.
with necessary local Development.
This would require ten ocean-.-o-
ing ships in continuous service for
ten years. And this means that
each vessel must take four or five
deep sea soundings cVtry day OF the
year throughout these ten years
past year OF the International Hy-
geographic Bureau. which has i,
its membership representative. OF
most Of the maritime countries Of
the world, was pointed to as 4 step
in the right direction and an indi-
cation Of the international charac-
ter of ocean investigations.