Vol 46, No. 12, December 1965

Salute to ESSA With a sense of satisfaction on the part of each of us, we participate in this first major Federal step to recognize the unity of the sciences and emergent services of our environ- ment. We see that with unbelievable prescience, the great NCAR enterprise and the many laboratories in many branches of geophysics of several universities are located in close juxtaposition with the CRPL which itself is destined to even greater responsibilities under the ESSA. We can foresee here an interaction, a healthy competition and collab- oration that will make Boulder a world center. I can only conclude by again saluting all of you for your wisdom, vision, and statesmanship, coupled with the hard work, that has made the Environmental Science Services Administration of the of America a reality.

news and notes

Transfer ceremonies held at Boulder the ceremony, which was attended by national, state, and A formal ceremony marking the transfer of the Central Radio local dignitaries. Dr. J. Herbert Hollomon, Assistant Secre- Propagation Laboratory from the National Bureau of Stand- tary of Commerce for Science and Technology, Dr. A. V. ards to the Environmental Science Services Administration Astin, Director of the National Bureau of Standards, and and its change of name to Institute for Telecommunications Dr. Robert M. White, ESSA Administrator, spoke briefly. Sciences and Aeronomy was held at Boulder, Colo., on IS Dr. Lloyd V. Berkner, Director of the Southwest Center October. for Advanced Studies, delivered the principal address (see Dr. C. Gordon Little, Director of the Institute, presided at page 762).

Participants in the Boulder ceremony were (left to right): Dr. C. Gordon Little, Dr. Robert M. White, Dr. J. Herbert Hollomon, Dr. A. V. Astin and Dr. Lloyd V. Berkner. (More news and notes on page 791)

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(Continued from news and notes, page 766)

AMS library acquisition Copies of Meteorological Net- work data volumes containing all observations made during the first five years of operation have been presented to the American Meteoro- logical Society for the headquarters library. AMS President Thompson, center right, is pictured reviewing one of the volumes with Willis L. Webb, chairman of the Meteorologi- cal Rocket Network Committee, as Vice President Church, left, and Sec- retary Blackadar look on. The AMS has played a major role in the development of the MRN through sponsorship of national meetings on the upper , the third of which is scheduled for 8-10 No- vember 1966 at Texas Western Col- lege, El Paso. The AMS BULLETIN has published two articles by the MRNC detailing development of the network (42, 7, 482-494; 43, 12, 640- 649), and has scheduled a survey of the current status of the MRN for early publication. sented to the AMS library. The need for international co- The MRN has effectively doubled the observed atmospheric ordination of the same voluntary character for the inter- volume in the western half of the Northern Hemisphere. national phase of the MRN was discussed by meteorologists A principal objective of the MRN is expansion to a global of a number of countries at the COSPAR meeting in Buenos distribution of stations that can sample the complete strato- Aires in May 1965. Past growth of the MRN coupled with a spheric circulation. Missile range meteorologists of the Inter- new interest in the upper atmosphere provides reason to Range Instrumentation Group have coordinated the MRN expect rapid development of an International Meteorologi- effort which has already produced the 6000 observations pre- cal Rocket Network.

USSR plans Weather Bureau Region VI appointments On 8 October, at the bilateral discussions between the United The Weather Bureau has announced the following appoint- States and the Soviet Union on the peaceful uses of outer ments for the Honolulu Regional Office: space, the USSR announced plans to launch their first Regional Director—James W. Osmun weather satellite by the end of 1965. The existing agreement Deputy Regional Director and Manager, Operations Di- for the exchange of weather satellite data between Washing- vision—Raymond L. Belknap ton and Moscow was reaffirmed and it is now understood by the representatives of both sides that satellite data is expected Regional Administrator—Bill L. Johnson to be available on a continuing basis from both sides in a Regional User Services Representative—Robert F. Shaw few months. Meanwhile, the present daily and useful ex- Regional Climatologist—Saul Price change of conventional weather data continues. Head, DATAC Branch—John P. Lee

(More news and notes on page 810)

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Unauthenticated | Downloaded 10/06/21 09:16 AM UTC Vol. 46, No. 12, December 1965 curious reasoning. The prime example is this one: speaking The book does not describe any of the fascinating tech- of sunspots, it is said that the strongest solar magnetic fields niques for observing the sun, like the coronagraph, spectro- are associated with sunspots. (True!) Then the author ex- heliograph, solar magnetometer, and rocket and satellite plains that in the laboratory we can create fields that are instrumentation. There is a glossary, but it seems to have just as strong (in fact we can generate fields up to 500 times been prepared for another but related book—there are some as strong) but only over short distances. On the sun, how- notable omissions like flare and prominence, and there are ever, he goes on, the sunspot magnetic fields can span dis- some curious definitions like that for Centigrade. tances of many thousands of miles, Q.E.D., "it stands to Finally, the 129 pages of text, set in large type, with the reason that they are very strong!" I hope there is no need criticisms mentioned above do not seem to me to justify in this journal to rebut that argument. its price—Stanley Ruttenberg

(Continued from news and notes, page 791) science (particularly hydrology, oceanography, and nature conservation), the association between the Natural Environ- Natural Environment Research Council in U. K. ment Research Council and the research work of the Meteoro- The trend toward consolidation of environmental sciences logical Office must be very close. Nature notes a certain was also in evidence in Britain, according to a report in amount of administrative untidiness in the overlapping ar- Nature, 207, 567, when the Natural Environment Research rangements in some areas of geophysics but does not foresee Council came into being on 1 June 1965 under the author- any serious consequences for the research programs. In other ity of the Science and Technology Act. fields it is expected that the Council will be to exercise In broad terms, the new Council is concerned with those a much-needed integrating function. sciences, both physical and biological, that relate to man's natural environment. Specifically, to quote the Royal Charter, it is established "to encourage and support research by any More in cooperative person or body in the Earth sciences and ecology and in par- The first cooperative sounding rocket experiment sponsored ticular (but without prejudice to the foregoing) in geology, by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and , seismology, geomagnetism, hydrology, ocean- the Netherlands Organization for the Advancement of Pure ography, forestry, nature conservation, fisheries or marine Research (ZWO) was successfully conducted by Dutch scien- and freshwater biology." In addition to carrying out research tists on 18 September. The launching at Coronie, Surinam in these subjects by direct control of certain governmental (Dutch Guiana), was one of four agreed upon in June 1964. establishments and by support for others, it is also author- The object of the experiments is to measure winds in the ized to make grants for postgraduate instruction. equatorial upper atmosphere by releasing a cloud of sodium The component bodies, formerly in various governmental vapor that is illuminated by the sun. Photographs of the departments or under a separate Charter and now directly cloud from several ground points permit observers to measure controlled by the Council, are: the Nature Conservancy, the wind directions and speeds. Home and Overseas Geological Surveys (including the Geo- NASA is providing the sounding and a launcher logical Museums), the National Institute of Oceanography, and the Dutch are providing the sodium vapor payloads, and the Hydrology Research Unit. The Council has assumed highspeed cameras, and launch facilities. The Dutch team responsibility for fisheries research and for policy direction trained at Wallops Station earlier this year and NASA per- and financial support for research in geophysics (geomag- sonnel attended the Surinam launching. netism and seismology) carried out at the observatories of Sounding rocket investigations in aeronomy, ionospheric the Meteorological Office. It is also associated with the general physics, and magnetic fields form the basis for current co- program of research of the Meteorological Office and, in operative programs of NASA and India's National Commis- consultation with the Forestry Commission, will support long- sion for Space Research. A new Memorandum of Understand- term forestry research in the universities. Sir Graham Sutton ing signed in July 1965 extends the earlier US-India agree- was appointed chairman for the initial phase of the Council. ment announced in January 1963. These experiments will The Council's degree of control over its diverse interests be launched from the Equatorial Rocket Launching varies with the particular science involved. The Meteorologi- Station (TERLS) near Trivandrum. The facility's location on cal Office remains with the Ministry of Defence and some the Earth's magnetic equator is of special interest for these aspects of meteorological research, for example those relating experiments. The responsibilities for the experiments are to forecasting, continue to be the exclusive concern of the divided in the usual fashion. Meteorological Research Committee. However, as meteorology by its very nature enters into many areas of environmental (More news and notes on page 814)

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Welfare to the U. S. Congress on the problem of air pol- International marine science, a UNESCO and FAO quar- lution caused by motor vehicles and measures taken toward terly, provides information on international, regional, and its alleviation. national activities of significance to marine science. It in- Aviation weather, a colorfully illustrated 300-page weather cludes sections on organizations, national programs, inter- manual for pilots published jointly by the FAA and the national projects, meetings, training facilities, equipment, Weather Bureau, provides basic information on weather and activities of UN agencies concerned with marine science. fundamentals and how to use the aviation services of the Annual subscription at $2.50 may be ordered from UNESCO Weather Bureau. It supersedes and replaces the Pilot's Publications Center, 317 East 34th St., New York, N. Y. weather handbook, CAA technical manual no. 104, issued 10016. in 1954. The new edition is divided into 22 chapters: The Ocean science and ocean engineering, 1965, Vol. 1 and 2 earth's atmosphere, temperature, , wind, (James H. Wakelin, ehrm., 1349 pp., illus., paper, $4.00 each moisture, stability, turbulence, clouds, air masses, fronts, vol.) contains the transactions of the conference held in June thunderstorms, icing, common "IFR" producers, the nation's under the joint sponsorship of the Marine Technology aviation weather system, weather observations, weather Society and the American Society of Limnology and Oceanog- charts, aviation weather forecasts, using and helping the raphy. Inquiries may be addressed to the Marine Technology weather service, high altitude weather, arctic weather, Society, 1030 15th St., N.W., Washington, D. C. 20005. tropical weather, and soaring weather. Availability of the Student assistance handbook, Guide to financial assistance book is not expected to lessen demand for personalized for education beyond high school (revised 1965, 241 pp., weather service between pilots and weathermen and a word price 60 cents) covers such topics as: State student financial of caution is offered to pilots on understanding the limita- assistance information; selected privately financed nation- tions as well as the capabilities of present-day meteorology. wide student financial aid programs; Federal student finan- The book may be purchased from Superintendent of Docu- cial aid programs; other information for the student ments, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. 20402. pursuing education beyond high school; and a directory of Federal funds for research, development, and other scien- institutions of higher education by congressional districts. tific activities, Fiscal Years 1963, 1964, and 1965 Vol. XIII Order Catalog No. 89-l:S.doc. 26 from Superintendent of (1965, 244 pp. $1.25, Catalog No. NS1.18:13), a part of an Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. NSF continuing study, is concerned with Federal funds for 20402. research and development, R&D plant or facilities, activities The upper layers of the atmosphere (577 pp., $8.85, NASA related to collection or dissemination of scientific and tech- TT F-315) may be ordered from Clearinghouse, Springfield, nical information arising out of R&D projects, and for Va. 22151. This translation of a Russian journal deals with activities related to the collection of general purpose data methods of atmospheric measurement, including rockets, on natural and social phenomena. It is available from artificial and meteoric acoustical and radio measure- Superintendent of Documents, GPO, Washington, D. C. ment devices, gives some results of studies and discusses 20402. effect of solar activity on atmospheric processes. Financial assistance for college students, undergraduate World weather records, 1951-1960, Vol. 1, covering North and first-professional (1965, 91 pp., price 50 cents), is a America, has been published by the Office of Climatology, directory of institutional financial aid programs for the 1963-64 academic year arranged alphabetically by States and ESSA, and is for sale at $2.75 by the Superintendent of provides information on loans, scholarships, service grants- Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. in-aid, and campus employment available to undergraduate 20402. Other volumes of the 1951-1960 issue will cover a and first-professional degree students. Order Catalog No. FS continent or a major division of the earth and will be 5.255.55027-64 from Superintendent of Documents (above). announced as they become available. World weather records Impact of science on society is a UNESCO quarterly publi- includes monthly and period means of pressure, temperature, cation that explores the often subtle relationship between and precipitation for stations in all parts of the world. science and society. Annual subscriptions at $2.50 each may Some longer term records and some additional miscellaneous be ordered from UNESCO Publications Center, 317 East data (e.g., lake levels, sunspots, etc.) are included here as in 34th St., New York, N. Y. 10016. former issues.

(Continued from news and notes, page 810) rockets will be launched on a coordinated basis. The data gained by these experiments will contribute to studies of Western Hemisphere rocket network atmospheric structure and behavior in the Southern Hemi- The first Brazilian rocket in the inter-American Experimen- sphere, help explain differences and similarities between tal Meteorological Sounding Rocket Network (EXAMETNET) weather patterns in the Northern and Southern Hemi- (see: BULLETIN, 46, 3, 163, and 8, 477) is scheduled to be launched from Natal before the end of the year. Thus spheres, and improve for the Western Brazil joins the United States and in studying Hemisphere as a whole. hemispheric weather patterns in the upper atmosphere. The EXAMETNET, part of NASA's continuing program The network will have stations in a north-south chain of cooperative space research, will contribute to observance through the Western Hemisphere from which sounding of 1965 as International Cooperation Year.

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