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Show "Truly a Fresh and Unique Section of the World for Us to Explore" Ey COL. A. LESTER JONES, U. S. Cost "and Geodetic Survey. a BOUND us, extending for thousands of miles in every direction stretches the mighty expanse of an oceanic new world Its area' LA 70,000,000 square miles, exceeds the total expanse of all the con' li tincnts and islands on the glohe. The maximum width of the -Mt ocean, 10,000 miles, is two-fifths of the circumference of the world jnjy, a fresh and unique section of the world for us to explore. The physical forces are here seen in actual operation on a scale of unparalleled un-paralleled grandeur. Ocean currents sweep around a third of the circum-(eItnce circum-(eItnce of the globe. Depths of five and a half and six miles have been located. The periphery of the ocean is outlined by an immense ring of lttive volcanoes, a veritable ring of fire. It is scercely too ' much to assort that the coasts and waters of the Picific can feed the world. But before an inventory of such resources can be made there must be a comprehensive geographical survey. The first esential is to complete our knowledge of the configuration of the sea bottom bot-tom and to obtain data for a bathymetric chart, or one made by deep-sea (ounding. Developments in aerial surveying and in subaqueous sound ging encourage the hope that rapid and thorough methods will soon be practicable. These will permit the construction of a model map of the ocean bed. Such a model, showing submarines plateaus, ridges, shelves, and pinnacles, pin-nacles, as well as valleys, trough s and abysses, will serve not only navigation naviga-tion but all branches of hydroyphysical research. For example, food fish ire found only on the continental shelf or slope, or in its immediate vicinity. Crustaceans abound for a few hundred fathoms beyond the Bud-line at about 100 fathoms. Thus the fishing banks can all be located lo-cated and fishing rights adjudicated. Variations of temperature, density, salinity, acidity, etc., affect the strength and seasonal changes of ocean currents, and all together affect the migrations and supply of food fish. The sea has its seasons no less than the land. |