OCEAN SURVEY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20076, 24 October 1939, Page 8

OCEAN SURVEY

STUDIES IN PACIFIC EXPEDITION CANCELLED NAVY REQUIRES VESSEL Owing to the war, what would ,iave been, one of the most important scientific expeditions ever sent into the Pacific has been cancelled, according to advice received from San Francisco.

The expedition was organised by the, National Geographic Society of America, in co-operation with the University of Virginia and the United 3 ates Government. It was to have sailed from Oakland, California, last nonth in the United States Coastguard cutter Alexander Hamilton, a

modem turbine vessel of about 2000 ons. However, the war made the plan impracticable, and the cutter, refitted with additional armament, left Oakland on September 18 to undertake patrol duty in the Atlantic. Scientific equipment valued at £4OOO which had been specially made for the expedition, had to be shipped back to Washington. The cutter Northland, which was to have canned Admiral Richard E. Byrd to Antarctica, had previously been diverted to patrol duty. Objects of Investigations

Details of the expedition’s programme were received by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in New Zealand about two months ago. It was proposed to carry out a large variety of investigations over an area of 4,500,000 squire miles in the Central and Southern Pacific, and to set up temporary observing stations on about 20 islands. Calls would have been made at Auckland for supplies and mail. One of the principal objects was to explore ocean deeps with sonic sounding machines and to obtain samples from the bottom with an ingenious “gun" invented and operated oy Dr. C. S. T::go:, oi the geophysics laboratory at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. With, this apparatus “cores” of solid mud or other material can be extracted at depths even below 5000 fathoms. By a study of the samples it was hoped to discover new evidence of the effects of the great ice ages on what is now the bed of the sen.

Investigations were also to be made Into terrestrial magnetic differences, and it. was planned to do other work in geophysics, geology and marine biology, and to carry out a large amount of surveying, photography and mapping with the aid of an aeroplane carried .on the vessel.

It is hoped that the return of peace vil] enable the project to be taken ip again at some future time.