Eos, Vol. 69, No. 3, January 19, 1988

In Memoriam sor and pioneer in the study of acid rain, Newton Stone of Cathedral City, Calif., a died on December 27, 1987, in Hanover, member of the AGU Atmospheric Sciences William H. Beatty HI, a member of the N.H. He had been a member of AGU since Section since 1950, died on November 21, AGU Ocean Sciences Section since 1973, died 1963. 1987. at 41 in June 1987. John Roehl, an AGU member from Myrde Steven Zarbin, 46, a member of the Tecton- Noye Johnson, a Dartmouth geology profes- Beach, S.C., died on August 29, 1987. ophysics Section since 1969, died recently. Books History of British Space States, the development of guided missile sys­ more permanent post-IGY organization and tems in Britain involved many military orga­ for defining what was to be done on a nation­ Science nizations, in the latter case including the Roy­ al basis and how to take advantage of interna­ al Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Farnbor- tional opportunities that might arise. Espe­ PAGE 33 ough, the Admiralty, the Ministry of Supply, cially important was the prospect of pursuing Woolwich Arsenal, and the Armament Re­ bilateral cooperative agreements with the new Harrie Massey and M. O. Robins, Cambridge search and Development establishment. Brit­ U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Admin­ University Press, New York, xxi + 514 pp., ish industry was also deeply involved, as were istration (NASA) and eventually joining with 1986. other Commonwealth countries. Most nota­ other European countries in their efforts to bly, a test range was established near Woom- pool their resources to provide European sci­ Reviewed by Allan A. Needell era, Australia. entists with independent capabilities for re­ On May 13, 1953, as H. S. W. Massey (born Gradually the RAE assumed a leadership search using advanced technology. Harrie Stewart Wilson Massey) was leaving and coordinating role in the development of The earliest of the bilateral programs was his office to take part in the annual cricket rocketry in Britain. Its Controlled Weapons the agreement that NASA would launch the match between the staff and students of the Department (later the Guided Weapons De­ Ariel satellites, whose instrumentation was University College London physics depart­ partment), led by D. G. King-Hele, began de­ British. The European efforts gave rise first ment, he received a fateful telephone call velopment in 1953—1955 of what would be­ to the European Launch Vehicle Develop­ from an official at the Ministry of Supply. Ac­ come the British Skylark scientific sounding ment Organization (ELDO) and the Europe­ cording to Massey, the official asked whether rocket. At the same time, spurred on by con­ an Space Research Organization (ESRO), he would be interested in using ministry sup­ tact with the American Rocket Research pan­ which were organizational forerunners of the plied rockets for scientific research. "Without el and an international conference on rocket current European Space Agency (ESA). Mas­ hesitation he said 'yes' and this really marked research held at Oxford in 1954, British sci­ sey recounts these efforts in detail from his the beginning of the British scientific rocket entists — most notably Massey and his col­ unique perspective. programme," (p. 17). leagues at University College London and For the U.S. reader, viewing the evolution Sir Harrie Massey died on November 27, elsewhere — began to explore ways in which of space science from the vantage of the lead­ 1983. In addition to an extraordinary scien­ they might use rockets to further their re­ ing British participant aids in sorting out cer­ tific career, and a career as a senior states­ search on atmospheric chemistry, optical phe­ tain ways in which seemingly inevitable orga­ man of British science, Massey also left be­ nomena in the atmosphere, radio propaga­ nizational and institutional arrangements in hind an essentially completed manuscript de­ tion, and winds at high altitude. fact reflect specific national contexts. For the voted to chronicling the major events and Of course, it immediately became apparent historian, understanding how special contexts accomplishments of British space science. that the funds required for rocket research determined special arrangements is a central The book project, according to M. O. Robins were far greater than those available to exist­ issue. It is only to be lamented that this con­ (Massey's coauthor and a pioneer in British ing departments and research groups and tribution does not provide more critical and rocketry and space science in his own right) that a mechanism for coordinating the scien­ explicit evaluation of its sources or the results was conceived in 1978. In 1981 the authors tific use of rockets and for obtaining govern­ of careful, creative digging for additional evi­ received a commission from the British Sci­ ment support had to be created. The mecha­ dence and documentation. This book is, after ence and Engineering Research Council nism used was the committee structure of the all, a memoir dedicated to putting on the re­ (SERC). The present volume is the result. Royal Society, specifically the Gassiot Com­ cord the facts as they were experienced by its Leaving aside for the moment considerable mittee, the long-standing advisory committee authors. It does succeed. The historical re­ difficulties that arise for historians because of of the Royal Society devoted to meteorologi­ search that is yet to be done will certainly the authors' failure to adequately cite or de­ cal and geomagnetic researches. Early in build upon what is presented here. scribe their extensive unpublished source ma­ 1955 a new subcommittee of the Gassiot com­ Allan A. Needell is with the National Air and terial, the volume provides a review of the mittee was established to advise the full com­ Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washing­ scientific and technical issues and the organi­ mittee on upper atmosphere research using ton, D.C. zational and political debates surrounding the rockets. exploitation by Massey and his colleagues While the Skylark program developed, Tectonostratigraphic (primarily at British universities) of rocket, leading to successful flights from the Woom- satellite, and space probe technology. It pro­ era test range beginning in late 1957, U.K. Terranes of the Circum- vides a fascinating and important perspective, scientists actively participated in several as­ one different enough from the American pects of the International Geophysical Year. Pacific Region view to help provide insight into the rapidly A special National Committee for the IGY changing post-World War II relationships was set up by the Royal Society in 1953. In PAGES 33, 37 between science, economics, and politics — addition to participating in meteorological both national and international. and rocket programs, British scientists were David G. Howell (Ed.), Earth-Science Ser., vol. During the 1950s in Britain, as in the Unit­ interested in the research potential of Earth- 1, Circum-Pacific Council for Energy and ed States, there were already a number of sci­ orbiting satellites whose launch was predicted Mineral Resources, Houston, Tex., ix + 581 entists, primarily those interested in the iono­ by both the United States and the Soviet pp. (+ color map), 1985, $32.00. sphere, whose research work could be signifi- Union. However, because British scientists candy aided by rocket and space research had no access to the actual satellites, they Reviewed by Rob Van der Voo techniques. In Britain, which in the 19th cen­ concentrated on the potential of tracking the tury had been a leader in the development of satellites in orbit, using both active and pas­ Have you always wondered where the Tu- military rockets, the technology was made sive methods. Such tracking provided impor­ junga, Baldy, and Cortez terranes might be available only when scientists recognized the tant data on Earth's gravitational field and on located today, let alone during the Cretaceous potential of using the guided missile systems radio propagation through the ionosphere. or early Tertiary? This book may provide the developed after the end of World War II for Once satellites became a reality, British sci­ answer, because in a little less than 600 pages scientific purposes. Again as in the United entists faced the problem of arranging for a for $32, which includes a marvelously pro-

This page may be freely copied. Eos, Vol. 69, No. 3, January 19, 1988 duced color map of the entire Circum-Pacific Rob Van der Voo is with the Department of Geo­ nosity Twin-Etalon Scanning Spectrometer as region, one can read almost everything one logical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Ar­ a member of a family of devices that allow an wants to know about Earth's "ring of fire" bor. increase of flux to reach the detector without and its displaced or suspect terranes. The a significant loss in resolving power is given. printing, proofreading, illustrations, and ref­ Other classic configurations of the Fabry- erences are all of the highest caliber, and the Perot interferometer, such as Connes' spheri­ book is handsomely produced indeed. In cal Fabry-Perot, are discussed in Chapter 5. page-by-page reading, I found maybe five ty­ Of particular interest in this chapter is the pographical errors, but I will spare you the Fabry-Perot treatment of etalons of finite size and their details. Interferometers effect on the retrieval of line shapes and posi­ The contents of the book are divided into tions. five parts, comprising principles or applica­ Chapter 6 covers the topics of emission and tions of terrane analysis and four unequally PAGE 37 absorption inside the etalon cavity. The topics long parts on the four quadrants of the Pacif­ naturally follow into a section on the most ic coasts. The northeast quadrant includes G. Hernandez, Cambridge Studies in Modern popular use of the Fabry-Perot interferome­ Alaska, the Canadian Cordillera, the U.S. Optics,! vol. 3, Cambridge University Press, ter in both the laboratory and everyday life, coastal and Rocky Mountain belts, and Mexi­ New York, xvi + 343 pp., 1986, $69.50. as the resonance cavity for a laser. Selection co; the northwest includes Kamchatka, north­ of individual laser modes by using various east Asia, China, Japan, Taiwan, and the optical devices inside the laser cavity is dis­ Phillipines; the southwest section has articles Reviewed by R. J. Sica cussed. on Australia, Malaya, Indonesia, New Zea­ The treatment of practical Fabry-Perot in­ land, and Antarctica; and the southeast com­ This third volume of the Cambridge Studies terferometers in Chapter 7 is in the form of prises the Andes from Colombia to southern in Modern Optics is a comprehensive and au­ an extended review paper. Practical etalons, Chile. The book offers introductory text for thoritative treatise on the design, construc­ their spacers and support, scanning tech­ beginning students of terrane analysis, as well tion, and analysis of measurements from niques, alignment and spacer control, choice as plenty of useful details and data for the these multiple-beam instruments. Its treat­ of mirrors, and selection of a Fabry-Perot are expert who needs a handy reference volume. ment of the Fabry-Perot interferometer is covered. Unfortunately, the many illustra­ Subject matter or emphasis ranges from hy­ highly mathematical and unified, weaving to­ tions of various instruments in the first sec­ drocarbon generation in marginal basins, bio- gether in a coherent and consistent format tion of this chapter are often difficult to un­ geography, paleomagnetism, geochronology, the work of over 400 different authors. The derstand because of the terse figure captions. and structural and metamorphic aspects to author is well qualified to discuss these topics, A full understanding of any of the devices stratigraphy and shows how the entire disci­ having used these devices to study the would require the original papers, to which pline of geological sciences is contributing to dynamics of the upper atmosphere for the there are numerous references. The rest of terrane analysis. There is literally something past 25 years. During this time he has made the chapter, particularly the excellent section here for everyone in solid Earth science. several fundamental contributions to interfer- on selection of a Fabry-Perot interferometer, Of necessity, the number of contributions ometry, in addition to aeronomy. is sufficiently detailed. to each of the four quadrant sections is vari­ Chapter 1 is an excellent, and for many of The book ends with a chapter on nonclassi- able, ranging from 19 for the northeast quad­ us, long-overdue historical perspective on the cal Fabry-Perot devices, including insect eye rant to three for the southeast. Nevertheless, Fabry-Perot interferometer, with an interest­ lenses, parallel Fabry-Perot interferometers, every tectonic element around the Pacific is ing account of the early work of R. Bouloch. and multiplexing techniques. A comprehen­ covered one way or another, accompanied by The backbone of the book, the mathematical sive bibliography, glossary, and author and index maps and useful cross sections. When I treatment of the Fabry-Perot interferometer, subject indices follow. read through the individual articles, I was im­ is contained in Chapter 2. The mathematical Hernandez has successfully blended his pressed by the uniformly high level of read­ formalism of the ideal interferometer is ex­ own numerous contributions to Fabry-Perot ability and the accessibility of the information tended to imperfect devices, off-axis systems, interferometry with a through review and presented. Moreover, I could not find exam­ and continuous spectra. synthesis of the many different variations of ples of overinterpretation or wild speculation, One of Hernandez's important contribu­ this instrument since the initial studies of although I am certain that there are ambigu­ tions to the field of interferometry is the ex­ Bouloch, Perot, Buisson, and Fabry. For spec- ities and controversial aspects to each area tension of Chabbal's and Jacquinot's work on troscopists contemplating use of a Fabry- discussed. Although this book is an up-to- the luminosity x resolution product to yield Perot interferometer, this work should be a date account of our current knowledge, it is unambiguous values of the optimum reflec­ required introduction to the advantages and not a complete encyclopedia of where a given tivity and scanning aperture for a given spec­ limitations of the Fabry-Perot technique. The terrane originated or how it arrived at its tral line of a given width to be measured. detailed discussion of the analysis of line present location. If anything, this collection Chapter 3 contains a detailed discussion of width and position in the presence of noise of articles forms a set of pointers for future this topic, starting with Chabbal's initial work. should be of particular interest to aerono- research. If this book has a drawback, it is Specific optimization results for high-resolu­ mers who are using high-resolution spectro­ that the index does not contain enough en­ tion investigations of single-line spectra are meters for atmospheric dynamics and ther­ tries. Thus it is not very easy to look up loca­ presented, and these are of particular interest modynamics measurements. Graduate stu­ tions or geographic names if one does not re­ for aeronomical and astronomical applica­ dents will find this book a blessing that will member in which part of the globe these tions. Although the results are discussed in save many hours in the library reviewing the were to begin with. the context of a scanning instrument, modifi­ literature. While this book would be an excel­ Every practicing tectonicist with interests in cations and trade-offs of the results when lent choice for a graduate-level special topics displaced terranes will want to purchase this modern imaging devices are employed are course on Fabry-Perot interferometers, no volume, and I recommend liberal placement discussed. This chapter also covers the opti­ problems are included. This book is extreme­ of owner identification in this book to avoid mization of instrumental operation from the ly well written and exhaustive in its treatment unwanted "long-term borrowing." The perspective of equal time or equal noise of one of the most important experimental 1:17,000,000 map can be ordered separately methods of sampling. devices employed in the study of Earth's up­ and is "worth the detour," to borrow a phrase Multiple-etalon devices are discussed in per atmosphere. from the Guide Michelin. Chapter 4. Two-etalon systems are discussed By the way, those three mystery terranes in considerable detail, and a complete de­ (Tujunga, Baldy, and Cortez) are in southern scription of polyetalon devices is included. A R. J. Sica is with the Center for Atmospheric California, just east of Los Angeles. detailed treatment of the author's high-lumi­ and Space Sciences, Utah State University, Logan.

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