Evening star., 1939-09-09
Use Of Submarines
To Map Ocean Floor
Urged on Scientists
Dr.. Field of Princeton
Sees Forecast of
Earthquakes Resulting
BY JOHN s. DAILY.


Instead of submarines sinking
merchant marine ships and sending
their cargoes and crews to Davy
Jones locker. the International
Union of Geodesy and Geophysics.
meeting here in the laboratories of
George Washington University,
would put these instruments Of war
to useful scientific work.
A constructive use for submarines,
it was developed at last nights
meeting of the union. would be to
complete the underseas map of the
world.
Scientists from 20 foreign coun-
tries were told by DR.. R. NJ Field
of Princeton University, who is also
president of the American Geo.
graphical Union, that science needs
more facts" about the structure of
: the earth. He stated that most OF
these facts can be obtained only
through the active use of subma-
rines in an intensive study Of the
oceans bottom.
"OulO LAI Al4uohCSs
EARTHQUAKES and their origins
were uppermost in DR.. Fields mind
for he added that "only by delicate
measurements of the pull OF gravity
near the ocean floor can the nature
of the underlying rock be deter
mined, and the possibility Of earth
quakes be predicted
Experiments already have been
conducted by means of the sub
marine and the scientists have
learned many facts hitherto un-
known to mankind. For instance
if a pendulum, like the pendulum OF
a clock. runs slower or faster in
one area than in another it indi-
Gates that the sub-strata is either
light or heavy. That is, rock or
sand.
The scientists are much inter-
ested in what happens beneath the
earth's crust. They cite the fact
that heavy rock, lying near lighter
rocks, may shift sideways and thus
cause a disruption on the earths
surface. This means an earth
quake. Just how to get the advance
notice on an earthquake Is some
thing that concerns the scientists
and they believe, according to DR.
Field, that the submarines that
now ply their way beneath the
waters surface can help tell the
story.
Would Probe Ridge.
About half way between the
United States and Europe, under
the surface, there is a tract known
as the Middle Atlantic Ridge. This
is a portion of the earth which
stands up, erect. like a mountain
top, from the floor of the ocean.
OF this DR.. Field said, 1--WE would
like to know-along with other de-
tails-if there are any submerged
river valleys in the Middle Atlantic
Ridge. And we would like, also, to
measure the contours of the area
which may be the tabled Lost At
lantis'. 1t may also have been the
breaking point of the Continental
Drift between the eastern and
western hemispheres which some
scientists believe to have occurred
millions Of years ago."
Here is an extremely important
region for submarine surveys which
may provide fundamental data on
major geologic problems, said DR..
Field.
In the course of the present con-
vention, attended by scientists from
many of the major countries Of the
world, intensive study will be given
to q report compiled-after three
years labor-by the United States
Navy, in cooperation with the
navies Of the Netherlands and
Great Britain. Ships from these
various navies have carried record
ing instruments into the far-hung
waters Of the world.