Evening star., 1951-01-24
Enormous Whirlpools
Indicated in Pacific
Expedition Cites Findings
After 2o, ,000-MiIe Survey
By Thomos R. Henry

By Thomas R. Henry
There are titanic whir,pools with
diameters of more than 1000 miles In
the Pacific.
Either that or gigantic meandering
rivers flow over the oceans surface.
This finding has been reported by q
Mid-Pacific Expedition Of the United
States Navy and the Scripps Institution
of Oceanography, sponsored by the Ofice
of Naval Research, which has just re-
turned from 29000-mile survey Of con-
ditions in the worlds largest ocean.
The observations, 1t is explained. make
necessary wide revision of previous con-
cepts of geographers. One OF the great
ocean rivers Is the northern equatorial
current. It always has been pictured as
flowing straight west. Opposed to 1t is
the counter equatorial current, previously
pictured as flowing directly east.
Results of observation made with q
new type of instrument every two hours
during the voyage show that these great
ocean rivers flow only generally in the
directions assigned to them. They ap-
parently zigzag north and south around
the equator Their behavior adequately
could be appraised. 1t is suggested. by
assuming a system of gigantic whirls or
eddies in the equatorial region. These
currents, it was found, are quite fast.
reaching speeds up to two miles an
hour.
Rate Of Heat Escape Measured.
An astounding discovery of the ex-
pedition was the rate at which heat
10 frox fI,a ~ i,oto
through the sea floor This was accom-
plished with special instrument. with
two extremely accurate Thermometers
attached to a long probe which was
fired into the bottom mud. 1t recorded
the difference in temperature one foot
and nine feet below the sea floor. The
accuracy was within one degree Fabren-
heit.
It was learned that the temperature
increased one degree each is feet.
Similar measurements often have been
made on land, especially in the drilling
of oil wells. The temperature increase
below the sea bottom was about five
times greater than has been shown BY
any land measurement.
In oil wells temperature of about the
boiling point of water is reached at
depth of 2 miles. Under the sea the
same inferno would be reached in less
than half mile.
Report Seemed Surprising.
This. according to the report to the
Office of Naval Research, is a very sur
priSing result. 1t always has been as
sumed that the increase in temperature
observed in continental rocks is due to
the outward flow of heat generated in
the earth by radioactivity and to q
lesser extent to heat from the earth's
interior which is conducted outward al
the earth cools.
If, it now is pointed out, the heat
which is flowing from the earth were
due entirely to the cooling of the in
terror. the planet could be only ABOUT
20 million years old. It is known to be
at least 1000 times that age.
About the only logical explanation, it
is said, is that the rocks under the sea
contain more radioactive material than
those under dry land and very much
more than had been assumed in the
past. Radioactivity. it had been sup
posed. is contained mostly in the earth's
outer crust, which is little represented
on the sea bottom. This finding indi-
Gates that the exploding elements extend
much deeper into the planets mantle
and that even the liquid core Of the
earth may contain appreciable amounts
OF radium and uranium.
Another possible explanation Of the
high-temperature gradient, it is indi-
Gated In the report to the Office Of
Naval Research, is that the volcanic
activity beneath the sea floor has re-
suited in heating rocks beneath sedi-
mentary cover and that more heat Is
being carried off than would be the case
if the rocks were solid