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Downloaded 10/06/21 01:46 PM UTC VOL 526 BULLETIN AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY NEWS AND NOTES International Programs in Atmospheric Sciences A proposed global weather service and scientific study— the atmosphere and fluids in motion, and to estimate the incorporating meteorological satellites, unmanned obser- rate at which these advances may lead to progress in vational platforms, and devices not yet on the drawing weather forecasting and related services. Finally, ad- boards—is outlined in a report issued in April to the vances in physics and a better understanding of the world scientific community by the National Academy of atmospheric responses to energy inputs point toward pos- Sciences—National Research Council. sibilities of modification of large-scale weather processes The report calls for an unprecedented collaboration be- to meet human needs." tween scientific institutions and national governments in Looking to the future, the committee's report adds, atmospheric research, meteorological service, atmos- "Perhaps one of the most important achievements to be pheric surveiliance, and meteorological education "to looked for in the near future will come from development raise the effectiveness of the meteorological services on a of communication between observation platforms. Espe- world-wide basis." cially equipped communication satellites may be used to "The aims go further," the report continues, "from monitor signals from high-level balloons, aircraft, rock- prediction to modification or control." ets, etc., to scan the atmosphere for disastrous storms The collaboration would take place through the non- and other important phenomena, and report to ground governmental International Council of Scientific Unions stations. Such extension will result in a functional sys- and the World Meteorological Organization, a United tem zvhich combines the advantages of direct and indi- Nations body. rect probes; it will provide not only in situ observations Author of the report was a representative committee but also gradients and integrated values of great im- of U. S. atmospheric scientists organized by the Geo- portance in research as well as in forecasting. physics Research Board of the Academy-Research Coun- "Finally, continued development of space technology cil in response to a United Nations resolution of 1961 may provide techniques for local modification of solar calling on both governmental and nongovernmental inputs, either by concentrating them or by interfering agencies for a cooperative effort in the atmospheric sci- with their transmission to earth. If successful, such ences. Chairman of the committee was Dr. Sverre manipulations could be used not only to modify weather Petterssen, professor of meteorology at the University of systems in the lower atmosphere but also to control Chicago. Chairman of the Geophysics Research Board important composition characteristics of the high atmos- is Dr. Merle Tuve, director of the department of ter- phere with influence on telecommunication and other restrial magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington. fields." Recent Advances Emphasized Practical Applications The committee noted that "a number of scientific ad- vances and practical considerations combine to make Among the practical considerations that call for "a this an opportune time to secure decisive growth of our major effort to extend our knowledge of the atmospheric understanding of the behavior of the atmosphere, to place processes and to improve weather forecasting and cli- weather forecasting on a firmer scientific basis, and to matological services," the report cites the following: explore the challenging possibilities of modifying large- —"Real mastery of space may well depend upon the scale weather systems and climate. extent to which we are able to understand our own "Progress in the atmospheric sciences depends not only atmosphere and its responses to solar activity." upon advances in the physical sciences in general but —". our ability to predict and modify weather phe- also upon technological developments, and both areas nomena on earth depends ultimately upon our reservoir have gone forward with extraordinary speed in recent of knowledge of solar-terrestrial interactions." years. The development of the electronic computer, high —"If atomic energy is to be used extensively for in- level balloons, aircraft, rockets, satellites, tracer tech- dustrial purposes, we shall need more precise knowledge niques, and a number of indirect means of probing the of what the atmosphere does with waste products." atmosphere have made it possible, for the first time in In addition, the report refers to the immense strain history, to keep the whole atmosphere under constant sur- that will be imposed on world-wide agricultural pro- veillance and to process vast amounts of data 011 a 'real ductivity by doubling populations and the waste of life time scale.' Furthermore, general advances in the physi- and property through destruction by the elements. Cor- cal sciences have made it possible to formulate and rosion of materials through air pollution alone costs the solve fundamental problems concerning: the behavior of U. S. $5 billion a year, the report notes. Unauthenticated | Downloaded 10/06/21 01:46 PM UTC VOL. 44, No. 8, AUGUST 1963 527 Global Coverage Needed the view that these motions reflect some kind of coupling between the lower ionosphere and the higher regions, Declaring that "it is highly desirable and possibly es- and it is of importance to explore the nature of this sential that the entire globe be sampled," the report interaction. cites WMO studies indicating that about 90 per cent of "Synoptic-scale disturbances in the layer from 80 to the surface of the earth has an inadequate number of 100 km are found sometimes to be in phase with the upper-air observing stations. circulations at and below 16 km for periods of ten days "What is required/' the report states, "is a new ap- or more. This suggests the existence of a link between proach to measurement in the free atmosphere and at the the lower ionosphere and the troposphere, but the nature earth's surface in areas difficult of access. ... Of par- of this coupling is not understood. ticular importance are the rapidly developing techniques "The lower ionosphere is strongly affected by changes associated with satellites and floating balloons, and with in solar radiation and by charged particles flung out miniaturized sensors and transmitters. These, together from the sun during solar storms, but the meteorological with telecommunication via satellites and unmanned ob- consequences of these interactions have not been ex- servational platforms (e.g., automatic land and ocean sta- plored." tions) constitute important components of a global upper- Working papers prepared by the Petterssen committee air and surface data-acquisition system." have already served to provide scientific guidance to the The report continues: "One of the promising develop- U. S. delegation to the Fourth Congress of the World ments in the field of unmanned devices is the super-pres- Meteorological Organization now under way in Geneva. sure balloon. Balloons weighing only about 1 kilogram The completed report has also been sent to the Office have been developed with a capablity of floating at of Science and Technology for study by appropriate constant density levels for periods of one or more months. agencies of the Federal Government and to interested Through the use of such unballasted balloons, with thin- scientific groups throughout the world. film electronics, hazard to aircraft will be greatly reduced The National Academy of Sciences is a private or- and the information-to-cost ratio is likely to be very ganization of scientists and engineers devoted to the high. Under the continuous surveillance of satellites, the furtherance of science and its use for the general welfare. locations of the balloons can be determined at desired It was established by Congressional charter in 1863 in intervals, thus providing wind observations, in addition part to advise the Federal Government, upon request, on to measuring pressure, temperature, humidity, ozone, and matters of science and technology. This provision ac- other atmospheric variables." counts for the close ties that have always existed between the Academy and the Federal Government although the Need to Know More Above 100,000 Feet Academy is not a governmental agency. Special attention is given to our "exceedingly meager" understanding of the earth's atmosphere above 80,000 feet, currently the performance limits of conventional US-Brazil Cooperation in Space Research balloons and instruments. The report points out, how- ever, that the region of the atmosphere between 100,000 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and 300,000 feet is "one of emerging importance with and the Brazilian National Commission for Space Ac- respect to exciting research opportunities. It is the link tivities (CNAE) announced in May the signing of a between the upper part of the atmosphere, which is more Memorandum of Understanding for a cooperative pro- sensitive and responds more or less directly to solar gram in space research for peaceful scientific purposes of changes, and the lower atmosphere, which responds more mutual interest. indirectly." The CNAE plans to conduct studies of the equatorial Four of these research opportunities are listed: ionosphere by monitoring satellite radio transmissions. "The flow patterns and the thermal structure of the Three research stations straddling the
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