Evening star., 1951-11-19
Expedition to Explore
Remote Pacific AtoIIs
Engineers and Biologists Plan
Survey Of 'Primevor Islands
By Thomos R. Henry

Two of the worlds most remote and
least known islands are to be explored
this winter in q cooperative expedition
Of the United States Geological Survey
and the Corps Of Engineers Of the Army.
These are the coral atolls Of Taongi
and Bikar. In theory they are members
Of the Marshall Island group, together
with Eniwetok. Bikini and Kwajalein.
But they do not actually fit into either
Of the chains of small islands which
make up this archipelago, now under
American mandate. These are the Ratak,
or sunrise" chain which lies to the
north, and the Ralik, or sunset" chain
on the south.
Bikar lies almost 100 miles north Of
the sunset islands and Taongi, one of
the most remote spots in the Pacific.
almost 200 miles north. The nearest land
to the northward of it is Hawaii. The
two islands lie of any Travelled route
and are difficult to reach except in ships
especially chartered for the purpose.
Up to now Taongi and Bikar have
been little more than names on the map.
Each has handful of inhabitants, pre-
sumably Of the same Micronesian-
Polynesian mixture as the inhabitants
OF the other MarshallS but they have
seldom been visited by outsiders and
there are virtually no reports of them
In scientific literature. They were passed
over both during the German sovereignty
over the Marshalls and during the Japa-
nese mandate which followed the first
World War.
"TTnsnoiJad0 hv HE.n
Conditions are described in the Geo.
logical Survey announcement of the ex-
pedition as nearly "primeval." Taongi
and Bikar are believed to be about as
close to the island paradises of the Pa
cif1c described by 18th century explor-
ers as 1t Is possible to find today. They
are. in other words. practically unspoiled
by man and their native fora and fauna
should be found nearly intact.
The present expedition anticipates
nnding practically Robinson Crusoe
Islands, insofar as such ever have existed.
The other Marshalls-about IS of
them in all-are built up along two great
coral reefs. They are rather typical
coral atolls. Extensive studies have been
made Of the structure Of Bikini and
Eniwetok. These are both in the sun
rise chain and the studies referring to
EnlWetok, the atom bomb testing
island. still are restricted.
Taongi and Bikar hardly can have anv
close connection with either chain and
probably are quite independent struc-
lures built on coral growths. It is ex-
pected. however, that their general
fauna and flora will be quite similar to
those OF the rest Of the Marshalls, with
some species still in existence which may
have become extinct elsewhere.
The present expedition, covering about
-FOUR months. will be concerned primarily
with the northern island chain, including
the Islands Of Ailuk, Jemo, Utirik. Taxa.
Wotho. Likiep. Lac, Ujae and Ujelang.
or these only the last and largest of the
chain Is well known to science.
Surveys Are Scientific.
The Geological Survey objective Of
the expedition will be a co-ordinated
study Of the marine geology, land
geology, soils. vegetation, fauna and flora
OF the whole island group. The work is
part Of the Pacific geological surveys
program Of the military geology branch
OF the survey and will be done in such
a manner as to fit into the Atoll Re-
search program OF the National Research
Council.
The party will be based aboard a ship
operated by the Army engineers, who
will be engaged In the establishment of
ground control points needed to prepare
new topographic maps Of both island
chains.
OF particular interest to the geologists
Is the manner in which these atolls are
built up. The best information on this
now available comes from the studies
conducted at Bikini, where drillings were
made through the coral to depths Of
about $500 feet. These indicated that
the coral organisms built from a foun-
dation Of limestone from 1000 to 5000
feet deep. probably underlaid by volcanic
rock. The drillings have turned up new
species Of corals and many fossils of
smaller sea organisms. There is no GER
tainty, Of course. that the same findings
will apply to Taongi and Bikar. Efforts
will be made to determine the undersea
foundations ~ ofa