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FROM VOLUME 8, NUMBER 7, JULY 1995

NEWS...
OCEAN SOUND EXPERIMENTS

Item #d95jul137

As a result of a compromise between scientists and environmentalists, a controversial experiment to monitor changes in ocean temperature could begin this summer. (See New Scientist, p. 12, June 17, 1995.) Scripps Institution of Oceanography researchers have been trying to secure permission to begin a pilot test of acoustic thermometry, whereby underwater sound signals are detected at great distances from their source, and average water temperature is determined from the speed of sound transmission. Environmental groups have opposed the plan, fearing damage to marine mammals by the sound signals. The compromise allows biologists to control the initial sound broadcasts, giving them an opportunity to observe any deleterious effects on mammals. (See also "Of Whales and Ocean Warming," J. Kaiser, Science News, pp. 350-351, June 3, 1995.)

A similar experiment in the Arctic Ocean, where environmental side effects are less likely, is already underway with U.S., Russian and Canadian scientists. Initial results indicate a possible warming of Arctic waters over the past decade. (See Science, pp. 1436-1437, June 9, 1995, and a more technical description in Eos, pp. 265, 268-269, July 4, 1995.)

International Data Access. A growing feud over the international exchange of weather data has been at least temporarily quelled by an agreement made at a World Meteorological Organization conference last month. The problem has grown over the past few years as some countries began selling certain data to commercial users, while others, such as the U.S., have maintained free access, including access to data other countries sell. The situation is exacerbated by the ease of data access on the Internet, and has implications for the international exchange of other types of environmental data including climate-related information.

See (all 1995) New Scientist, p. 10, June 24; Science, p. 493, April 28; Eos, p. 250, June 20, and p. 202, May 16.