INFORMATION ON SOVIET BLOC INTERNATIONAL GEOPHYSICAL COOPERATION - 1959

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00141R000200660001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 3, 1999
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 8, 1959
• Content Type: REPORT

MAY 8 199.
For ReleasOOD w Y i Y V i Rw d I ;I W
GEOPHYS I CA,L'. YEAR LNFORMAT I ON
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INFORMATION ON SOVIET 3LOC INTERNATIONAL GEOPHYSICAL COOPERATION - 1959
)by 8, 1959
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF CO11MERCE
Office of Technical Socvices
Washington 25, D. C.
Published Weekly
Subscription Price $12.00 for the Series
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INTERNATIONAL GEOPHYSICAL COOPERATION PROGRAM --
SOVIET-DLOC ACTIVITIES
Table of Contents
Page
1.
Rockets and Artificial Earth Satellites
a
II.
Upper Atmosphere
4
III.
Gravimetry
9
JI
T.V.
Seismology
9
V.
Arctic and Antarctic
11
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I. ROCKETS AND ARTIFICIAL E.AFtTII SATELLITES
Suvict Scientist Denies "Accidental Success" of Mechta ialuzchinF,
Striking the Moon was not the reason for the launching of the
Soviet cosmic rocket, says M. G. Kroshkin, Candidate of Physicomathemati-
cal Sciences, in an article which appears in Nauka J. Zhizn'. In refutation
of the many references to the "accidental s sews" in the Western press,
Kroshkin presents the following as "proof" of the Soviet intent to launch
a rocket which would. pass near the Moon and, then enter cosmic space.
In impacting the Moon with a rocket under the most favorable con-
ditions it would be possible to measure only the vertical gradients of
the intensity of the Moon's magnetic field, its, radioactivity, and the in-
tensity of cosmic radiation near it. The Passage of a rocket near the Moon
can give material not only on the vertical, but also on the latitudinal
and longitudinal (depending on the trajectory of the rocket relative to the
Moon) variations of all these values. The trc,.nsfonnation of a rocket into
an artificial satellite of the Moon would be most advantageous, from the
viewpoint of scientific significance, for fulfilling preliminary investi-
gations of the I'4oon.
Consequently, says Kroshkin, the nature of the e;tperiments conducted
by the Soviet rocket, its equipment, and. the lean ching and programming of
its movement show that it was launched with the aim of investigating a
whole series of physical parameters on the pa:,h from the Earth to the Moon
and the cosmic space beyond it for a distance within the scope of modern
means of communication. Incidentally, the great capacity of the rocket
made it possible to carry sufficiently powerful transmitting equipment.
The launching of the Soviet cosmic rocket was the first successful
attempt at direct penetration in the region of the Moon. Instruments for
directly registering the magnetic field and.measv.ring the radioactivity
of the Moon were installed on the rocket. The registration of the intensity
of cosmic radiation can be of essential value for studying the Moon's mag-
netic field, since this field, as investigations on artificial earth satel-
lites showed, can retain charged particles and create zones of increased
intensity of radiation.
The study of peculiarities of the Moon's magnetic field can yield a
great amount of material for checking different hypotheses concerning
terrestrial magnetism and the structure of the Moon itself. The Moon is
devoid of atmosphere and therefore the possibility- of the formation of a
magnetic field similar to the Earth's in that part which is caused by the
currents of the upper atmosphere is excluded. If it so happens that a
magnetic field of the Moon exists, but that the magnetic poles are located
far from the geographic poles, then there is basis to conclude that the
presence of a magnetic field of the Moon is not connected with its rotation,
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and possibly, will also lead to a reconsideration of certain assumptions
concerning the nature of terrestrial magnetism. Such a result can also
certainly lead to the conclusion that the Moon is devoid of an internal
liquid core. But the recent discovery of traces of volcanic activity on
the Moon by N. A. Kozyrev, Soviet scientist, makes this last assumption
very unlikely.
The study of the Moon's radioactivity is of great value, not only
for ensuring the safety of future cosmonauts, but also for studying the
action of the surrounding medium on the Moon. The continuous bombardment
of the unprotected air envelope of the Moon's surface, as well as its ex-
posure to cosmic rays, can fully lead to the rise of artificial radio-
activity on the surface.
A large part of the apparatus carried by the cosmic rocket was in-
tended for studying the parameters of cosmic space. The study of cosmic
rays can be of great value for various cosmogonic hypotheses concerning
the origin and life of celestial bodies and stellar systems. A knowledge
of their intensity at different points of space and especially near the
planets can aid the study of magnetic fields and finally will give an
idea of the danger of radiation for the life and well-being of future
cosmonauts. The study of meteor streams is also very important for en-
.3uring the safety of space flights. The study of the gaseous component
of interplanetary matter will help explain the reason for tike polarization
of Zodical light, that is, the illumination of the gaseous tail of the
Earth. At present there are only suppositions as to whether this is caused
by the free electrons of cosmic space or by cosmic dust. The study of the
Sun's corpuscular radiation outside the influence of the Earth's magnetic
field must also be accomplished with the aid of suitable equipment on board
a cosmic rocket.
All of these experiments set up in !-,he cosmic rocket indicate the
launching's great scientific value for the investigation of interplanetary
space. ("New Stage in Studying the Cosmos," by M. G. Kroshkin, Candidate
of Physicomathematical Sciences; Moscow, Nauka i Zhizn', No 3, Mar 59,
pp 6-11)
Soviet Scientist Discusses Meteor Danger in Space Flight
One of the problems of astronautics consists in studying the circum-
stances in which the flights of interplanetary rocket craft will be made.
Interplanetary space is filled with molecules of an order of 1,000 per cubic
centimeter. This space is pierced by flows of cosmic rays, corpuscular
radiation, of the Sun and micrometeoritic particles. It is necessary to
have a more precise idea of all these cosmic factors and their anticipated
effects on interplanetary rockets and space craft. For this reason, the
investigation of meteor danger is extremely important.
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V. V. Fedynskiy, Doctor of Physicomathematical Sciences, discusses
the problem of meteor danger in an article in Nauka i 71ii zn', Soviet
popular science periodical. Fedynskiy describes meteor bodies as a mass
of minute particles of matter which rotates around the Sun in the form
of a very fine cloud of dust. The Earth, as it were, is submerged in
this cloud.
A very efficient means of studying meteors now, is the use of radar.
The trails arising with the passage of a meteor, made of ionized gas, are
easily detected by powerful radar at any time of the day or night. Dur-
ing the IGY, the study of meteors is conducted by many stations in dif-
ferent countries. In the USSR, such observations are conducted in Kazan',
Kharkov, Tomsk, and at several other points. Much information on the
meteor matter in interplanetary space and the nature of meteor bombard-
ment of the Earth is obtained with the aid of radar and with photographic
and visual observations.
The density of meteor matter in interplanetary space is insignificant
and consists for meteor bodies with a mass of about one gram, of one par-
ticle per cube of space with an edge of 1,000 kilometers. Because of the
Earth's great velocity and cross-section, the actual number of such meteors
encountered by the Earth is about one million in 24 hours. The number of
smaller meteors, visible only with a telescope, is in the tens of billions.
In calculating the number of probable meteor impacts on a rocket craft it
is also necessary to consider abrupt changes in the density of meteors in
space as a result of permanent meteor showers, clusters of meteor particles
moving around the Sun in an elliptical orbit.
The radar service of Soviet IGY stations has already given valuable
data concerning fluctuations on the number of meteors in different months.
In 1957, the average hourly number of meteors observed at Tomsk fluctuated
on different days from 72 up to 363. A still greater fluctuation was noted
for 24 hours. The Kharkov station reported the average hourly number in
the course of a day as increasing or decreasing by a factor of eight. For
example, on 15 March 1958, the Earth ur:.ixpectedly encountered a meteor
cluster which had not been registered earlier. Some information may be ob-
tained from the meteor dust which settles to the Earth. This dust can be
collected in rain water or snow and separated from the dust of terrestrial
origin by magnets, inasmuch as it consists of magnetite. The concentration
of meteor dust in interplanetary space is'probably somewhat less than that
found in the atmosphere. A certain part of the dust settling in the atmos-
phere is the product of the fusion and disintegration of larger meteor
bodies during their penetration of the ionosphere.
The intensity of the action of the meteor medium on interplanetary
craft is of special interest. The most graphic example of the destructive
effect of meteor impact can be seen in the large craters formed by meteorites
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on the Earth's surface. Meteor particles several hundredths and thousandths
as small in mass, but possessing greater velocities, have the same destruct-
ive effect on a much smaller scale. As a result, the surface of rockets is
covered with pockmark-like dents, the toughest steel undergoes "meteor cor-
rosion," and optical surfaces or the active surface of solar batteries can
become tarnished and nontransparent. Also, the larger meteor bodies can
penetrate the shell of the rocket craft or damage it heavily.
The first artificial earth satellites were a good experimental means
of surveying this danger. The Soviet rocket Mechta also carried equipment
similar to that in Sputnik III for recording micrometeorite impacts. The
piezoelectric transducers measured impulses acting on their surfaces in the
range from 0.1-1,000 grams per centimeter per second, making it possible to
detect meteor particles with a mass from 10-9 grams and larger, with veloci-
ties of about 40 kilometers per second.
The results of the first measurements of the number of micrometeo-
rites conducted with instruments mounted on the artificial earth satellites
cannot be considered as conclusive. The number of micrometeorite impacts
recorded by Sputnik III, calculated on an area of one square meter, was
several tens of thousands per hour. This differed from US findings, which
gave them from 150 up to 6,000 impacts per square meter per hour. The dif-
ference can be attributed to the apparatus and the method of measurement
being used and to the change in the density of the meteor medium through
which the Earth moved at the time.
Not one of the three Soviet artificial Earth satellites were seriously
damaged or deflected from their orbits by the impact of a large meteor body
in all of the many months of their existence. Thus, the satellites helped
establish the fact of the extreme granulation of meteor matter in inter-
planetary space. This makes it possible to estimate the possibility of
interplanetary travel despite the presence of meteor danger in the cosmos,
and to determine the proper design and structure for space craft. ("The
Problem of Meteor Danger," by V. V. Fedynskiy; Moscow, Nauka i Zhizn',
No 3, Mar 59, Pp 17-20)
New Book on Moon by Academician Barabashov
A new book, Luna (The Moon), by Academician N. P. Barabashov, director
of the Kharkov Astronomical Observatory, Academy'of Sciences Ukrainian
SSSR, which has been issued by the publishing house "Sovetskaya Rossiya"
is reviewed in Nauka i Zhizn' by B. Lyapunov. The book, which contains
much information on the Moon, its characteristics, the possibilities of
cosmic flight to it, landings on it, etc., while not voluminous, is out-
standing because of its scientific level.
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The book opens with an account of Soviet successes in the investi-
gation of cosmic space and the prospects for the development of astronau-
tics. The author affirms that the Moon, our nearest celestial neighbor,
will be the first cosmic body on which man will land. Flight time to the
Moon is given as 53 hours. A preliminary detailed study of the Moon will
aid in explaining what the first astronauts will find on landing there,
how best to accomplish such a flight, and the future conquest of the Moon.
The motion of the Moon and the physical conditions in its different regions
are described in detail.
A great deal of attention is devoted to describing lunar relief, its
unusualness, and the principal formations of the surface. The volcanic
origin of lunar relief is held to be highly probable on the basis of
Kozyrev's recent observation of a volcanic eruption in the crater of
Alphonsus.
A special section is devoted to the problem of the past and future of
the Moon and also to lunar eclipses.
The final chapter presents conclusions of direct interest to future
lunar travelers. An illustration, shows the first people landing on the
Moon, and the technical means by which this must be accomplished are given.
The Moon will be the future cosmic station from which longer flights
by interplanetary craft will be made and will become the most important
scientific station in the universe.
Lyapunov believes more attention in the book should have been given
to the following: the author should have presented his ideas on how lunar
flights would be accomplished, what results could be obtained in investi-
gations of the Moon with rockets, and how such a lunar station would be
constructed. These are only briefly touched on in the introduction and
the final chapter. Also desirable would have been the ideas put forward
by A. A. Yakovkin, director of the Main Astronomical Observatory, Academy
of Sciences Ukrainian SSR, on the creation of an artificial satellite of
the Moon, which would make it possible to study it from a relatively close
distance for a long time.
Barabashov's book will be read with interest by all who are interested
in the problems of astronomy and astronautics. ("The Moon Cosmic Station,"
by B. Lyapunov, book review of Luna by Barabashov; Moscow, Nauka i Zhizn')
No 3, Mar 59, p 75)
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Chinese Stations Report Observation of Auroras
Two items in the May 1958 issue of the Tien-ch'i Yueh-k'an, a Chinese
monthly magazine on weather, published by the Central Weather Bureau, sum-
marize the reports concerning observation of aurora in various parts of
China made by Cninese observation stations. The items give the following
information:
According to the first item, auroras were seen several times during
September 1957 by many stations throughout China. It was, however, on 29-
30 jeptember 1957 that the aurora was the strongest. It was during this
period that many more stations in various areas throughout China viewed
the aurora, including those in areas such as Heilungkiang in the east,
Sinkiang in the west, and stations in regions in latitude of 40 degrees N.
The source reports that the auroras seen in various areas appeared
mostly at the angular height of 30 degrees or lower; in Wu-lan-hao-t'e
and Hu-hao-t'e, however, at one time the aurora appeared at an angular
height of up to 60 degrees. The color of the auroras in the comparatively
low latitude region (as in the northern part of China) appeared to be a red
very similar to that of a fire viewed from a distance; in other areas the
color was red, but in various degrees.
A list of the participating stations established during the Inter-
national Geophysical Year, especially for the observation of the aurora, CPYRGHT
follows, together with the locations and the dates the aurora appeared.
Station Name
North Latitude
East Longitude
Dates of Appearance
(Sep 1957)
Nen-chiang
49? lo'
125?
13'
13-14,
21-22, 29-30
I-ch'un
47? 30'
129?
20'
13--14,
29-30
Wu-lan-hao-t'e
46? 13'
122?
03'
29-30
Chi-hsi
45? 17'
1300
57'
13-14,
29-30
Erh-lien
440 13'
1110
32'
29-30
Hsi-lin-hao-t'e
430
116?
05-
21-22
22-23
,
Urumchi
430 47'
0
870
37'
4-5, 22-23,29-30
Ttuzg-lino
40'
43
122?
15'
29-30
Tun-hua
43? 21'
128?
11'
13-14,
21-22, 29-30
Ha-mi
42? 50'
930
27'
29-30
Hu-ho-hao-t'e
40? 49'
1110
41'
29-30
Ttuz-huang
40? 08'
940
47'
4-5, 29-30
Peiping
390 57'
1160
19'
29-30
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According to the second item, at about 1800 hours on 11 February 1958,
an aurora was again observed by many observation stations throughout the
notion. The aurora was more radiant this time, and its color was more
brilliant but variable. Many stations located south of 40 degrees N Lati-
tude including stations such as Wei-hsien of Hopeh Province, Tung-sheng of
Inner Mongolia, and Kao-t'ai of Kansu, also observed the aurora during this
period. Following is a list of stations, together with their locations and
CPYRGHTthe time of observation:
Station Name
North I .titude
East Longitude
Time
Hu-ma of Heilungkiang
Pei-an Feng-huang-shan
51?43'
126039'
1802 hr (Pe.ping
time: 1735 hr)
of Heilungkiang
I-ch'un Wu-ying of
48?22'
126?25'
1823 hr (Peiping
time: 1757 hr)
_I4ilungkiang
Kan-nan of Heilung-
kiang (elevation:
47?30'
129020'
1835 hr
185.2 meters)
Ch'i-ch'i-ha-erh of
47056'
123?30'
1819 hr (Peiping
time: 1805 hr)
Heilungkiang
Lin-hsi of Inner Mon-
golia (elevation:
47?15'
123?55'
1810 hr
809 meters)
Fou-hsin of Liaoning
43?30'
118?03'
1800 hr
(elevation: 138'meters)
Tung-sheng of Inner
Mongolia (Elevation:
42?10'
121?38'
1907 (Peiping time)
1,452.0 meters)
39?50'
109?59'
1910 hr
Wei-hsien of Hopeh
Kao-t'ai of Kansu
(elevation: 1,355.3
30?56'
114?41'
1830 hr
meters)
39?23'
99043'
1651 hr
(Peiping, Tien-ch'i Yueh-k'an, 23 May 58, pp 35, 36-37)
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Chinese Maps Flow Pattern Over Tibet From i957 Data
"An Analysis of Circulation Over Vicinity of the Tibetan Plateau,"
by Chu Ch'icn-ken of the Central Meteorological Institute presents an
analysis of flow characteristics over Tibet as indicated by daily 500-
millibar charts in May and June 1957. Flow patterns of eastern and western
hemisphQres are compared. The author gives special attention to the prob-
lem of whether one or two rapid currents exist over the plateau. With
respect to this problem, he draws the following conclusion:
During May-June 1957, two rapid air currents arrived from the west
over the Tibetan Plateau. The one on the south immediately branched
off into two streams, blowing across northern and southern parts of the
plateau, respectively.
Meanwhile at 70? E, the rapid current on the north also divided into
two streams. One stream, blowing northward, weakened and disappeared.
The other, blowing southward, combined with the two branches of the south
rapid current at 90? E and 120-140? E, respectively. The final confluence
became one raid current of great force. ("An Analysis of Circulation
Over Vicinity of the Tibetan Plateau," by Chu Chien-Ken; Peiping, T'ien-
ch'i Yueh-K'an, No 9, 1958, pp 20-25)
China Probes Upper Atmosphere
This item gives the following information on China's IGY activities.
Five times during the World Meteorological Interval in September 1958,
China's upper atmosphere balloons were launched to heights of 46-46.5
r14.les. At the highest altitude, the atmospheric pressure was less than
2 millibars.
On 29 October, the Central Observatory in Ch'eng-tu launched a balloon
which reached a height of 48.8 miles, where the atmospheric pressure was
about one millibar. It had passed the isothermal layer and entered the
warmer layer.
The article also gives a summary of China's progress in meteorology
during the great Leap Forward Movement, meteorological conferences held
in 1958, and the current establishment of a nationwide meteorological net-
work. ("News Brief," unsigned article; Peiping, Ch'i-hsiang Hsueh-pao
(Acta Met2orologica Sinica), Vol 30, No 1, 1959, pp 119-120)
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III. GRAV 'TRY
Gravimetric Survey of all Chinese Territory Planned for 1959
An abstract in Russian of an article in Acta Geodetica et Cartographica,
Sinica., a Chinese scientific periodical, contained the following information.
It is necessary to make a general gravimetric survey with astrono-
metric leveling in all the territories of the country. In addition, it is
necessary to perform a first-order concentrated gravimetric survey around
the astronomical points for each triangulation series. This detailed work
will be begun in all the country's territories in 1959. Certain experi-
mental work was conducted last year as a means of ensuring the success of
this year's operations.
The article presents some of the experience acquired in this prelimi-
nary work and discusses the following problems: the location of the gravi-
metric points of the concentrated survey, the methods of typing in gravi-
metric points, the determination of the coordinates and the heights of the
points, and, finally, certain suggestions are introduced on the execution
of the concentrated gravimetric survey. ("Some Problems in Concentrated
Gravimetric Surveying," Gravimetric Branch of the Institute of Geodesy and
Cartography, Academia Sinica, China; Peking, Acta Geodetica et Cartographica
Sinica, Vol 3, No 1, 1959, pp 25-28)
Study of Effect of Microfluctuations of Atmospheric Pressure on Seismograph
Recordings
In the study of the effects on seismic recordings by microfluctuations
of atmospheric pressure, with periods of several seconds to several hundred
seconds, it has been observed that before the onset of the rain of thunder-
storms (usually during calm, windless summer weather), long-period (several
minutes) air waves with the characteristic form of oscillations are produced.
More than once, these waves have been observed on the recordings of sensitive
microbarographs (sensitivity of 20-25 bar/mm/m [bar-dyne/cm2] and wave
periods of 600-800 seconds) at a number of seismic stations in the USSR
(Pasechnik and Fedoseyenko, Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Geofiziche-
skaya, No 1, 1958). These recordings indicate such waves as relatively
short series of oscillations of the atmospheric pressure of a quasisinusoidal
form, with three to four extremes: oscillation periods of 4-12 minutes,
maximum amplitudes of 100-200 bars (500-600 bar in some cases); the total
duration of the recordings usually does not exceed 20-30 minutes.
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For the solution of the problem of the nature of the origin of air
wav(_:3 of this type, simultaneous observations must be made at a number of
stations, located hundreds of kilometers from one another, in conjunction
with a simultaneous study of all meteorological conditions prevailing at
the time. The problem is one which must be solved by meteorologists.
Observations at a. number of stations should provide an accurate determina-
tion of the moment of excitation of the oscillations at their sources,
their coordinates, and, on the basis of this data, a calculation of the
rate of propagation of various groups of such air waves.
The study of air waves of this type will also throw light on various
aspects of the physics of the atmosphere, particularly on the nature and
thickness of the channels which transmit such waves. The air waves pro-
duced during the eruption of volcanos can also be studied for the same
purpose. ("Long-Period Air Waves Originating Before Thunderstorms," by
I. P. Pasechnik, Institute of the Physics of the Earth, Academy of Sciences
USSR; Moscow, Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Geofizicheskaya, No 3,
Mar 59, pr ),71-475)
Theory on Temperature Deformation of Earth's Surface
The theory of the thermoelastic deformation of the earth depends on
a number of simplified assumptions, namely, that the temperature of the
earth's surface changes in accordai.:!e with a harmonic principle, that the
heterogeneous heating of the earth has a sinusoidal character, that the
thermoelastic property of the earth varies in stages and only to a certain
depth, and that the surface of the earth is a plane surface.
In spite of the conditionality, of ;these assumptions, the theory satis-
factorily explains the principal characteristics of the phenomena.
The analysis of the theory made in this article permits the following
conclusions. The daily (24-hour) variations of the inclinations and linear
deformations of the earth's surface have a common origin, namely, the non-
uniformity of its heating. The observed daily temperature deformation of
the earth is a narrowly confined local process involving only the uppermost
layer. The delay of the 24-hour temperature gradients of the earth's sur-
face is explained by the presence of a layer of loose heat-insulating ma-
terial at the surface. ("On the Th gory of the Temperature Deformation of
the Earth's Surface.," by S. DT. Kabu::enko,, Povolzhskiy Forestry-Engineering
Institute imeni M Gor'kiy; Moscow, Izvestiya Akad.emii Nauk SSSR, Seriya
Goof i zi the skaya, No 3, Mar 59, pp 1145-449)
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V. ARCTIC AND ANTARCTIC
Activities at Polar Stations
The northernmost point of the USSR is located within 800 kilometers
of the North Pole. This is the high-latitude polar station on Ostrov
Rudol'fa. During the polar night, at the time of the 21st Congress of
the CPSU, the staff at this station began to compete for the title of
"Collective of Communist Labor." To start with, each of the staff members
mastered a second specialty. This is important to be able to interchange
workers and, consequently, to enable them to help each other. A Ignatkin,
station chief, who is the senior radio technician and has acquired the
specialty of hydrometeorologist, decided that this was not sufficient for
him, as a supervisor, and, therefore, he also learned to be a mechanic.
V. Izhikov, hydrometeorologist, decided not to lag behind the chief, so
he began to learn the job of a radioman. A. Kolachev, the cook, decided
to learn two specialties at the same time, i.e., radio technician and
hydrometeorologist.
Three men are working on the ice-covered cupola of Ostrov Ushakova,
which is not even indicated on ordinary maps, I. Nedzvetskiy, Hero of
the Soviet Union, who is senior mechanic, senior hydrometeorologist, and
radio technician; P. Svirnenko, an experienced polar specialist; and N.
Malkov, senior radio technician and hydrometeorologist, who has worked in
the Arctic for more than 15 years. It would be impossible to work at this
station without interchanging jobs. That is why each polar worker has two,
or even three, specialties. They are successfully handling the extensive
program of scientific observations.
The observatory on Ostrov Kheysa, Zemlya Frantsa Iosifa, on the 81st
parallel N latitude, is operating for the second year in a wel?.-organized
settlement. It is equipped with radio, telephone, and electric water-
heating facilities. The observatory staff, headed by V. Gerasimenko, has
successfully completed all the observations under the IGY program. The
scientists state that the work at the observatory on Ostrov Kheysa has
given them a feeling of great satisfaction. The laboratories are equipped
with modern instruments and devices. There is a large amount of equipment
especially designed for this observatory.
Specialists of the ionospheric group recently installed a complex
apparatus and are beginning to study the propagation of radio waves in the
Arctic, including ultrashort waves.
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Plot Toni, ago a census of the population eras taken oil Ontr?ov Khcyc.a?
This ccnsuo ref l.eeted the cultural development and "matu.r. i-l;y" of the Arctic.
The cencuo indicated that 70 percent of the obuervatory wort.c-ro wcrv young
puoplu under 25 yuai c of ago. The name percentage of polar wor?keru has
oecoridary and higher education.
Not far from Sevcrnayu Zemlya, several miles from Ostrov Pioricr, the
smallest island of this archipelago, there is another, even smaller island,
called Golomyannyy, on the 80th degree N latitude. A high-latitude polar
Ltation has been in operation on this island since 1930. V. Beschastnylch,
chief of this station, reccntly received a communication from the Arctic
and Antarctic Institi~te stating that the observations made by the polar
workers of this station] had been conducted in an excellent manner and
were of great interest.
There are still many hardships and difficulties connected with life
at the polar stations. For example, just the procurement of fresh water,
especially during the summer, is equal to obtaining water in the desert.
The procurement of fuel and the lighting of stoves still presents diffi-
culties. So far, unfortunately, there are more problems than solutions
at the stations. However, the polar workers are bravely and succe?.isfully
striving to overcome the hardships.
Ostrov Ayon is locat9c].in the ice of the East Siberian Sea, on the
70th degree 11 latitude. The staff of this polar station, head _d by V .
Korneyev, has very friendly relations with the local population. The
station workers are willing to undertake any kind of work which they are
able to do. V. Korneyev, the station chief, who is an experienced mechanic,
handles many jobs in the Chukchi reindeer kolkhoz. A communications office
has been set up on Ostrov Ayon for the reindeer breeders. Radiomen of the
polar station dispatch radiograms sent by the local population and handle
radiotelephone conversations with the rayon center at Pevek. When Etta
Rul'tina, a Chukchi girl, expressed an interest in learning the job of
radio operator, the .-adiomen at the station were willing to teach her.
Ostrov Ratmanova in Bering Strait is the easternmost point of the Soviet
Union. The boundary between the USSR and the US is near this station. As
at other stations, the staff members here have been working during the polar
night to acquire a second specialty. V. Koshurin, a Komsomol, has learned
to be a hydrometeorologist, and A. Danchenko, hydrometeorologist, is study-
ing to be a radioman. On their own, the polar workers have expanded the
radio station an-1 installed new equipment. The young radiomen are full of
creative plans. As soon as the atomic icebreaker Lenin begins to operate
on the Northern Sea Route, they want to establish two-way, long-distance
radio contact with the icebreaker and maintain such contact until the vessel
arrives in Bering Strait. ("Dawn over the Arctic"; Moscow, Vodnyy Transport,
2 Apr 59)
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~uyuruyy Pulyus-7 To ]3c Diacontinuud
The station Suvcrnyy Pol.yuu-7 has been drifting in the Arctic for
about 23 u-onths. During this period it has traveled from the, cast to the:
coast of Gruunland, covering a distance of almost 3,500 kilometers. Whun
the present staff of the station is removed from the ice flou, a long-term
automatic radiometcorological station is to be installed in its place.
("II:igh-Latitude Arctic Expedition"; Moscow, Sovetskiy Plot, 18 Mar 59)
USCOMM-DC-60670
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