Evening star., 1949-03-25
Stars, Men and Atoms
EIectronic Microscope
May Find Oil Deposits
Tiny Fossil Bacteria Are Expected
To Give Glue to Petroleum
By Thomas r. Henry

By lHOmlS N. Henry
Submicroscopic objects which probably
are fossil bacteria and which may help To-
cate oil deposits are being discovered by use
Of the electron microscope.
This instrument reveals particles many
times smaller than could be detected with
any optical microscope, such as the minute
flterable viruses which cause many human
diseases.
The new finding has been reported to the
American Association for the Advancement
of Science here by H. M. Barton and D. j.
Jones, geologists Of the Phillips Petroleum
Co. Of Bartlesville, Okla.
Oil deposits exist in ancient sea bottoms.
One of the most valuable clues to their loca-
ton. it has been recognized for many years.
is the presence in the rocks OF the fossils Of
microscopic sea creatures which could easily
be identified by experts.
Some Fossils Missing.
But there are many areas, particularly on
the Gulf Coast where these fossils either are
missing or have no value as landmarks. Bar
ton and Jones report, and the electron
microscope investigations were undertaken
to find something which might take their
place. The objects revealed are smooth and
disk-shaped. They are similar in appear
ance to the spores of various extant moulds.
such as the one from which penicillin is
derived. Others were tiny rods which ap-
pear to be fossilized bacteria. Objects SINH
lar in appearance may be mineral forma-
tions.
These electron micro fossils, they report,
have been found in deposits representing
three geological eras, the first of which Is
more than 3oo,oo0,Ooo years old.
The findings must be considered, the re-
port says, only as opening the door to
HI 11YoH f7o1I Nf
specific for underlying oil deposits have not
yet been Disseminated. This will require
an enormous amount of observation and
classification.
South Pole clouds are almost transparent.
Sometimes more than twice as much SUM-
light comes through them as through SINH
lar clouds in the temperate zone.
This phenomenon, which throws some
light on the weird white darkness of the
Antarctic summer, is reported by DR.. H. c.
expedition based at Marguerite Bay, West
Antarctica, last winter.
The dazzling, sometimes nearly binding,
brightness of an overcast day is one of the
most striking experiences Of any one who has
ventured below the Antarctic Circle. 1t
never has been adequately explained. A
common explanation has been that it Is due
chiefly to a re-radiation effect. The sur
face upon which sunlight which gets through
the clouds falls is pure white. Hence almost
100 per cent of the radiation is reflected.
This in turn, is reflected again back to earth
when 1t hits the clouds.
Records Compared.
Dr.. Petersen compared the amount of SUM-
light getting through cloudy sky at Ston-
ington Island where the Rome expedition
was based, with records for the Blue Hill
Observatory of Harvard University, near
Boston.
When the sky was completely overcast in
Massachusetts. the records show, only about
20 per cent of the sunshine expected on en-
tirely clear days gets through to the earth's
surface. In the Antarctic the average under
the same conditions is So per cent. With q
cover of low clouds about 80 per cent Of the
incoming solar radiation is received in New
England. At Stonington Island the average
was 50 per cent, according to DR.. Petersen's
report, which has been released by the ONCE
of Naval Research.
The effect of re-reflection from the snow
surface adds greatly to the total effect but
1t has not been possible to measure this ade-
quately.