TECHNICAL NOTES AND RESEARCH BRIEFS

provided three transponders and a ship- board acoustic interrogating and receiving system. SEISCOR furnished the LORAC airborne measuring equipment. Each par-

ticipant provided appropriate engineering and scientific support.

Members of the coordinating team for the group geodetic experiment, in addition

to Mourad, are the following representa- tives of participating organizations: J. B. Cline, Bendix; M. H. Curlin, SEISCOR; and R. L. Newacheck, Aerojet-General.•

13.1

MYSTERIOUS SOUNDS FROM THE DEEP

I• Ti•. course. of the deep sea-bed drilling project that is being carried out for National Science Foundation by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the engineers aboard the drillship GLOMAR CHAL- LENGER encountered a new and mysteri- ous sound source. The sounds, which con- sisted of a rapid popping, seemed to begin as the drill crew started tripping the pip out of the drill hole, and continued almost until the last section was out of the water. The

sounds were heard clearly on the acoustic positioning system equipment.

Much investigation finally disclosed that the sound was caused by release of high- pressure water entrapped beneath the plastic base coating on the drill pipe. When the pipe was pulled toward the surface, the pressure lessened, and the water popped small flecks of paint from the pipe.

The drilling project is being undertaken to examine hypotheses about geologic history and sea-floor spreading. Inasmuch as holes are being drilled as much as 2000 ft or more into the sea floor, in depths of water up to 12 000 ft and more, careful maintenance of position of the drill ship is required. This is accomplished by a dynamic system that is acoustically moni- tored and controlled. Acoustic beacons

implanted on the ocean floor near the drill site generate sonar signals that are received by four hydrophones extending into the water beneath the ship's hull. These hydro- phones are arranged in a square and thus receive the same sonar signal at slightly different time intervals. The equipment measures these time differences along both the X and Y axes and computes the direc- tion and the distance from the ship to a point directly above the hole. Then the equipment actuates some combination of the ship's main propellers and four side thrusters to move the vessel toward this

desired point directly above the hole on the sea bottom. The system is said to be designed to hold the ship in place within 125 ft in winds up to 30 kt.•-•

7'2, 7.4

RING YOUR CHIMES?

A NEWS NOTE TELLS of the antinoise trial

of a carillon atop a savings bank in Ithaca, New York. The chimes ring at 9 a.•r., Noon, and 5 •?.•r. to mark the time and then proceed to play a tune for about 3} minutes each time. The neighbors brought

it to trial on the basis of an ordinance

designed to prevent the production of noise or music so as to disturb the peace or quiet.

The trial in City Court was being held, the President of the bank and owner of

the chimes was on the stand to testify, when noon came, the bells struck the hour and then went into their 3«-minute tune.

In the midst of all this, to make a point, the defense lawyer asked the witness whether the sound of the bells interfered

with his hearing the testimony being given in the room. The bank president replied "What?"

A later news note reported that the chimes were found "not guilty" in a 5-page decision by the judge.•-•

3.1

TECHNICAL REPORTS

Effect of Acoustic and Electromagnetic Fields on the Behavior of Caspian Sprat (Vliyanie zvukovogo i elektromagnitnogo

polei na povodenie Kaspiiskoi kil'ki), Rybnoe Khozyaistvo, 44 (9) 11-12; I. V. Nikonorov and A. Kh. Pateev. In Russian.

Translated by Israel Translation Program for Scientific Translation, Dec. 1968 for U.S. Department Interior and National Science Foundation, 2 pp., processed. Available on loan from Bureau of Com-

mercial Fisheries, Branch of Foreign Fish- eries, Department of Interior, Room 8015, Washington, D.C. 20260.•-•

NoisereSound without Value. This report reviews the dimensions of the problem of noise in our society and the responsibilities of the Federal Agencies concerned with noise abatement. Three types of noise are studied in this report: Outdoor Noise, Indoor Noise, and Occupational Noise. An analysis of the present situation and current programs are provided, along with recom- mended Federal Actions for each type of noise. 1968. 56 pp. Available for 60 cents from Superintendent of Documents, Gov- ernment Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.Stock No. Y3.F31/16:2N69.•-•

An Acoustical System for Remote Bottom Contact and Current Speed Determina- tions, by Alfred Gutierrez, Jr., and Willis E. Pequegnat, Texas A & M University,

College Station, Texas. 11 pp., 4 October 1968. This report describes a simple acous- tical telemetering system that employs an electronic counter constructed in this lab-

oratory. When the counter is coupled with an appropriately equipped sensor, an acous- tical telemeter, and a standard receiver, the system can be used for remote monitoring of current meters, dredges, bottom water samplers, and other devices. Substantial savings of ship time are said to be effected by its use. The counter unit is compact, light, and small enough to fit into stan- dard pressure housings. It is capable of about 7 days of sustained operation with the present rechargeable power pack. This report is available from Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Informa-

tion, Cameron Station, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. Stock No. AD-67652.•

1576 Volume 45 Number 6 1969

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