SOVIET BLOC INTERNATIONAL GEOPHYSICAL YEAR INFORMATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00141R000200480001-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 26, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 2, 1959
• Content Type: REPORT

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PB 131632-l7
SOVIET BLOC INTERNATIONAL GEOPHYSICAL YEAR INFORMATION
January 2, 1959
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Office of Technical Services
Washington 25, D. C.
Published Weekly
Subscription Price $12.00 for the Series
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PLEASE NOTE
This report presents unevaluated informationcn Soviet Bloc
International Geophysical Year activities selected $rm foreign-
language publications as indicated in parentheses. It is pub-
lished as an aid to United States Government research.
SOVIET BLOC INTERNATIONAL GEOPHYSICAL YEAR INFORMATION
Table of Contents
I. General
II. Rockets and Artificial Earth Satellites
III. Upper Atmosphere
IV. Oceanography
V. Arctic and Antarctic
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Ka: akhr-;t!in Metru.rolo ii,ttc.in IGY
Operations in Kaz13kh~;ta,n in the fraxnework of the IGY program are con-
ducted by 4" hydrometeorologica and i3pecialized observation ,atationse
Act.tnometr?ic ob,servh.tion y in Kazakhstan for international exch?3.nge
are condu~,te:d In Semipalatinwik.. Obr-ie?:~rvationpj are made for direct and
acatter-ed e;o1Q.r radiation, reflected radiation, and radiation and heat
be-lance of,. the underlying surface. Materiel on heat balance and radiation
are rn' spnr-U, U. t nteree; t from the viewpoint of the study of the climate of
a territory and the general circulation of the atmosphere,
Observationa for noctiluc:ent c:louda are conducted at 21. Kazakhstat:
:station. .
Viua: observations for aurorae are carried out at 41 .stations. To
the e ExG added the ob -erv ttiona made by airline crews. The study of
auroraa will give certain information on the density and composition of
the atmoypher& at aititudRi3 of about 1,000 kilometers.
Investigation;; of atmoz.pheric ozons, exD extremely important to the
IGY program for atudying the meteorological pattern at high a?titud(a;a.
Th-;r;,~~ ob-;er ationa are conducted with the aid of the three-channel photo-
electric ozonogr3.ph, Or-ST-3, which wa.e, developed in the Soviet Un:Lon.
Th:? instrument i~i designed to regi;t-r, the direct ultraviolet radiation
of th,~^ Sun u6ing thr :e selective light filters Such mea.euremi T
nts will
make it pos.,~+ible to det_>rmine th,:. over'-rill ozone: content and by m,:ana of
cat cui6.tion~; to gl yr=: vertica,i di~jtribution. The Alma-Ata ozon metzlc
tation ha.a already conduct sA about 3,000 ob>;srvatio:r:3 under the ICY' prc-
gr am,
Aerological obi;urvationa which murit ahead some light on the condition
of the iree atmosphere, thQ preE;6ure, temperature, the moistur. , content
of thu air, and the wind dir ction and velocity up to an altitude of 25
kilomet err:, exe c:onduct,::d. These ob,arrvationr-, will give extr-mely valuable
material for studying wide-oc .L atmo ;phi;ric proc:-see t and, for the first
time, the ge,ner al circulation of the atmo.-.phera.
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The territory of Kazakhstan is characteristic for studying the conti=
nental climate of the northern hemisphere and also for explaining the in-
fluence of hydrodynamic conditionu of the Tien-Shan mountain chain on the
general circulation of the atmosphere. For this reason, the conduct of
the IGY in Kazakhstan was connected with the construction and organization
of large, new radar-equipped aerological stations.
Seven Kazakhstan stations are engaged in aerological observations.
These are at Alma-Ata, Aktyubinsk, Balkhash, Karaganda, Kustanay, Gur'yev,
and Semipalatinsk.
The existing world aerological network, supplemented during the IGY,
will make it possible to obtain data for studying atmospheric circulation
at great altitudes, to follow the exchange of air masses between the north-
ern and southern hemispheres and many other phenomena and processes, essen-
tial for the solution of weather forecasting problems.
Workers of the Kazakhstan hydrometeorological service are making a
considerable contribution to the IGY program. ("Kazakhstan's Meteorologists --
Participants in the IGY," by I. Porfir'yev, Chief of the Administration of
the Hydrometeorological Service, Kazakhstan SSR, and V. Nikitin, Senior
Engineer-Aerologist; Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, 10 Oct 58, p 3)
New Soviet Instrument for Measuring Heat Flows in Various Media
A new instrument for determining the thermal flows in ice and snow
cover, in soils, and also in the bottom of water basins is described in
a Soviet scientific periodical.
The calorimeter consists of 1,000 series-connected copper -constantan
thermocouples, threaded back and forth unifo''?Ay through a 250 by 200 by 30
millimeter plexiglass plate so that all even numbered and all odd numbered
thermocouples are on opposite surfaces. The thermocouples rest in recesses
on the upper and lower surfaces so that the distance between the odd and
even numbered thermocouples is 25 millimeters. A solution of plexiglass
and dichloroethane poured over both surfaces effectively fills all openings
and covers both surfaces, protecting the thermocouples and wiring from
water. This covering also is a good conductor' of possible thermal changes,
as both the calorimeter and coating have become monolithic. A lead con-
nects the., calorimeter with a galvanometer. With a drop in temperature on
the surfaces of the plate a difference in potentials arises at the ends
of the calorimeter. This is caused by the differences in the temperature
of the layers touching the upper and lower surfaces of the instrument.
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Both individual measurements as well a_; continuous r-:cordirgs of
thermal flows in snow and ice covers, in soil and the bottom of water
basins made with the aid of this calorimeter show that the proposed method
is very accurate, is simple and has the advantage of making it possible
to investigate the course of heat processes exchange directly and under
natural conditions without the need of taking samples of the medium. ("In-
strument for Determining Heat Flows," by A. G. Kolesnikov and A. A. Spz^ran-
skaya, Moscow State University imeni M. V. Lomonosov; Moscow, Izvestiya
Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Geofizichas+keya, No ii, Nov 58, pp 1351-1359)
Mystery Signals Picked up By Swedish Radio Station
Signals identical to those transmitted by the Soviet sputniks were
picked up on 9 December by a Swedish amateur radio operator. The Enkoep-
ing radio control station near Stockholm, which since 9 December has been
following the signals broadcast on 32.6, 31.0 and 97.1 megacycles, announced
on 10 December that at the moment it is impossible to tell if these signals
are being broadcast by a new satellite. ("Some Mysterious Radio Signals";
Brussels., La Libre Belgique, 12 Dec 58, p 5)
First Polish Experimental Rocket Launched
Scientists of the Polish People's Republic devote considerable atten-
tion to work in creating rockets for meteorological and other research in
the upper layers of the atmosphere- Recently the Polish press reported
the successful launching of a two-stake rocket in Bledowsks. Pustynia, which
was built by the Krakow Division of the PoliW.h Society of Astronauts and
the Rocket Section of the Mining and Metallurgical Academy in Krakow.
The rocket was 820 millimeters in 'length, 63 millimeters in diameter,
and weighed 4.35 kilograms. Its one kilogram of solid fuel produced a
working pressure of 40 kilograms per squax:e centimeter and a thrust of 100
kilograms.
The rocket was launched from a device 3 meters long inclined at an
angle of 80 degrees. At the moment of launching the rocket was tracked
by means of theodolites located at three points.
At present, Polish scientists are engaged in developing a plan for
building and testing the first stage of a meteorological rocket. ("Po-
lish Scientist's First Experimental Rocket"; Moscow, Sovetskaya Aviatsiya,
13 Nov 58, p 4)
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Czech Determines Oblatenesu of Earth Based on Motion of Orbital Node of
Sputnik II
The positions of the ascending node of the orbit of Sputnik II were
determined on the basis of 11.7 (mainly visual) observations made during
the period from 5 November 1957 to 21 March 1958 at various places in
Czechoslovakia. The equations used in this determination are given. The
mean quadratic error of one determination of the position is 0.19 degrees.
The nodal line shifted 360 degrees during the observations. An evaluation
of observations for the instantaneous velocity of the motion of the as-
cending node gave an expression for the relationship of the daily motion
of the node to time.
The theoretical value of the velocity of the motion of the node was
obtained from the Lagrange equation for the variation of constants. In
the expansion of the perturbing function, consideration was given to the
term containing the Legendre polynomial of the 4th order and the term con-
taining the fourth order of the eccentricity of the orbit. In calculating
the nodal motion attention was also paid to the radial component of the
disturbing force. From the motion of the node determined on the basis of
the observations and using auxilliary quantities determined elsewhere, the
difference in the moment of inertia of the Earth was calculated for 8 mo-
ments in the whole period of observation and these were shown to be in good
agreement with results obtained by others from perturbations of lunar mo-
tion. The mean relative error in this determination was 0.0012 of the
total value. The oblateness of the Earth was calculated from the differ-
ence in the moments of inertia to be
oc?
297.90 x.18
It is claimed that artificial satellites are more suitable for study-
ing the Earth's field of gravity than the distant Moon. More accurate
methods of observation, i. e., photographic, must be used in order to ob-
tain a more exact value of the oblateness of the Earth. ("The Motion of
the Orbital Node of Sputnik II (1957 P) and the Oblateness of the Earth,"
by Emil Buchar, Astronomical Institute, Czech Technical University, Prague;
Prague, Studia Geophyaica et Geodetica, No 4+, 1958, pp 306-321)
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Space Flight Studies In USSR Discussed
It has only recently become evident how close to reality is the'dream
of space travel by man. Scientific and technical knowledge has increased
considerably. However, before a man can be sent into outer space by rocket,
greater research effort will be necessary. Science must yet solve many
complicated problems. The most important of these is the -rew's safe re-
turn to Earth.
Many questions, including that of re-entry, are being investigated
under laboratory conditions. But not everything connected with flight
into outer space can be studied under laboratory conditions. So Soviet
scientists are also conducting biological studies outside laboratories:
animals have been sent up to altitudes of 100-200 kilometers. Some ani-
mals have been sent up to altitudes as high as 450 kilometers above the
surface of the Earth.
The second Soviet artificial earth satellite must be mentioned in
that connection, because it had for its passenger the dog Layka.
A visit to the laboratories of an institute where four-legged "space
travellers" are being trained for flights into the upper layers of the at-
mosphere is described by A. Galkin, Candidate of Medical Sciences. Here
he saw special hermetic cabins which simulate conditions of flights in
high-altitude rockets. The hermetic cabins contain instruments that work
automatically, registering the reactions of living organisms during their
flights into "space". Special moving picture cameras record the behavior
of the animals in flight. Galkin says that he saw two dogs in one hermetic
cabin. These dogs have already been sent up to an altitude of 200 kilo-
meters. ("Road to the Stars," by A. Galkin, Candidate of Medical Sciences;
Moscow, Krasnaya Zvezda, 25 Nov 58, p 3)
Sodium Luminescence in Atmosphere Subject of Czech Study
The intensity of perturbing radiation with a wave length of 5,893
enters in all possible theories on the twilight luminescence of the sodium
layer of the atmosphere as an essential -0?~ctor. Up to now these values
were only approximately calculated.
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A complete tiieory for the luminescence of the high layers of the
atmosphere is presented and is applied to the above stated problem.
Values of the intensity of luminescence are presented in table form. A
comparison with earlier obtained results confirms the usef tesa of the
new tables. ("Twilight Luminescence in Yellow Light 5,893 A," by k~anti-
sek Link,?Astronomic Institute Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague;
Prague, Studia Geophysica et Geodaetica, No 1, 1958, pp 47-53)
Vityaz' in Vancouver
The Vityaz', expeditionary ship of the Institute of Oceanology Acad-
emy of Sciences USSR, is reported in Vancouver, Canada, after 5 weeks of
operations in the North Pacific Ocean.
Members of the expedition and the ship's crew visited the city and
its scientific institutions.
Dr Richard Fleming, American oceanographer, was among the many visi-
tors received by N. N. Sysoyev, Candidate of Technical Sciences, chief of
the Vityaz' expedition, on board the ship. (Moscow, "Sovetskiy Flot,
30 Nov 58, p 4)
Submarines to Supplement Soviet Oceanographic Studies
Complex oceanographic investigations is various regions of the World
oceans were begun by scientific institutions of the Academy of Sciences
USSR in connection with the conduct of the IGY.
Submarines will take part jointly with surface ships in these opera-
tions. Experimental work both in the USSR and abroad has shown that the
use of submarines will make it possible to obtain extremely valuable
scientific data which other type s;aips cannot gather.
As previously reported (Soviet Bloc IGY Report No 44, 12 Dec 58), in
the very near future a specially outfitted submarine will be used for the
above-mentioned scientific investigations by the All Union Scientific'Re-
search Institute of the Fish Economy and Oceanography (VNIRO).
Investigations in the oceans, including those of the southern hemi-
sphere, will be continued in the coming year. ("Scientific Investigations
in Different Regions of the World Oceans"; Moscow, Pravda, 9 Dec 58, p 6)
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Soviet Research in Baltic
The Soviet research ship Okeanograf is reported to have put into the
port of Leningrad after a 1 1/2 month voyage in the Baltic Sea. Another
ship of -the research fleet, the Professor Rudovits, arrived in the port
two days earlier completing its 19th voyage in the Baltic.
Oceanographers on board these ships are supplied by the Leningrad
Division of the Institute of Oceanology, Academy of Sciences USSR. Ex-.
tensive research work is conducted in the northern, southern and central
parts of the Baltic Sea under the IG"Y program. ("According to the Program
of the IGY"; Vil'nyus, Sovetskaya Litva, 26 Sep 58, p 1)
USSR Gives Poland Base in Antarctic
Thanks to a generous gift from the Soviet Union, the Polish flag will
fly in the Antarctic. The USSR government has just officially transferred
the station Oazis to the Polish government. Located 360 kilometers from
the Mirnyy base, the Oazis base is in a region surrounded by huge glaciers.
The Polish scientists will conduct observations and scientific research
with the material left by the Soviets. This work will include meteorology,
seismology, and the study of terrestrial magnetism. The Polish group will
take over the base before the end of 1958. ("USSR Gives Poland '0azis'
Base in Antarctic;" Paris, L'Fumanite, 9 Dec 58)
The first group of Polish scientists will depart for Antarctica this
year aboard the Soviet ship Mikhail Kalinin. The ship will put in to the
port of Gdynia for this purpose ("Transfer of Soviet Antarctic Station
to Poland"; Moscow, Pravda, 9 Dec 58)
Activities at Station Vostok
The station Vostok at the south geomagnetic pole has been in opera-
tion for the past 10 months. The entire program of research activities
conducted at the station has produced data of great scientific and prac-
tical interest. The complex series of research conducted by 0. Kolomiyt-
sev and P. Maysuradze in geomagnetism, .'ionosphere, and auroras, has made
it possible to determine a relation between the magnetic storms and auroras
in the station area.. The vertical sounding of the ionosphere is done with
the help of a modern automatic ionosonde, and auroras are photographed with
a special camera which is able to take picture of the whole firmament.
The program of observations in meteorology, actinometry, aerology, and
glaciology, is being carried out successfully.
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Although the station Vostok is not large, it is equipped with modern
instruments. It has a remote-control meteorological station, an apparatus
for regi3tering the temperature and humidity of the air and the wind ve-
locity. The height and density of the snow cover are determined on a
special area covering 1,300 square meters. Self-recording devices con-
tinuously register the meteorological elements and all types of solar
radiation.
There are 11 scientists, most of them young people, conducting re-
search at the station Vostok.
During the polar night, the air temperature dropped to less than
minus 87 degrees Centigrade. In such weather a few seconds are sufficient
to get one's face or hands frozen if they are not protected, The scien-
tists are equipped with special clothing. However, when the temperature
drops to below minus 80 degrees Centigrade, the men are not allowed to
stay outside for more than 15 minutes, and at a temperature below minus
85 degrees Centigrade -- only up to 10 minutes. During the severe frost'
the men were not allowed to go out singly even for a short period.
The equipment also suffered under the cold. Instruments froze at
temperatures below minus 60 degrees Centigrade. Much effort and resource-
fulness was required in order to adapt the technical equipment to operat-
ing under low temperatures. Various improvements made by the scientists
helped to solve this difficult problem. The polar night brought with it
many mishaps. The storm wind wrecked the aerological pavilion, and the
only solution was to build a new one. This was an extremely difficult
task at minus 75 degrees Centigrade and in complete: darkness. The work
under these conditions continued for 3 weeks, with the help of search-
lights, until the construction job was completed. Now the production of
hydrogen and the filling of radiosonde balloons is done in a subsnow pavil-
ion at a depth of 5 meters.
During the heavy frost, much effort was spent in supplying fuel to
the diesel engines of the electric power station. The fuel froze and had
to be heated for long periods before pouring. When the temperature dropped
to minus 87 degrees Centigrade, the high-pressure generators went out of
order. A special low-pressure instiLlation for obtaining hydrogen had to
be built.
The station Vostok is situated at an elevation of 3,420 meters. As
a result of low atmospheric pressure, the boiling point of water is 83
degrees Centigrade. This presents many problems in the preparation of
food.
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The polar night lasted for more than 4 months. ,,ow that it is over,
the sun shines almost 21. hours a day. The temperature is minus 60 degrees
Centigrade. The station staff can end re such temperatures quite easily,
as they are hardened by experience and training. The snow drifts have
been removed, and the equipment and instruments have been repaired.
On 1 October, the first plane arrived from Mirnyy and dropped food
and other freight by parachute over Sovetskaya and Vostok. ("Temperature-
Minus 87 Degrees," by V. Sidorov, chief of Station Vostok; Moscow, Sovet-
skaya Rossiya, 8 Oct 58)
Geological Research in Antarctica
Antarctica is the only continent on the earth which is almost com-
pletely covered with ice. The antarctic ice sheet reaches a thickness
of 3,000 meters. However, over 600,000 square kilometers of the area
consist of ice-.free mountain ranges, as well as rocky "oases" located
along the edges of the continent in the region of the shelf ice.
Before the beginning of the IGY research program, geological research
routes had covered only 5 percent of the antarctic mountains. However, in-
formation on the geology of Antarctica is important for solving a number
of theoretical problems concerning the structure of the Earth's crust and
of historical geology, and for compiling a single geological map of the
Earth.
Soviet scientists started geological research in East Antarctica only
during the past 3 years. During this period, a group of associates of the
Scientific Research Institute of Geology of the Arctic visited 36 points
on the coast of East Antarctica, covering almost 6,000 kilometers between
57 and 165 degrees E longitude. A geological survey was made in the area
of Mirnyy, Bunger Oasis, and the Obruchev Hills. Many ice-free outcrops
of basic rocks were investigated between 80 and 110 degrees E longitude.
In other places, only isolated rocks rising above the ice near the coast
were inspected. Airplanes and helicopters transported the scientists to
the foot of the rocky mountains and into the almost inaccessible parts
of the rocky "oases" surrounded by sea fiords or by huge crevasses in the
shelf ice.
Interesting geological discoveries have been made. One of the oldest
layers of crystalline schist on the Earth, which is over 15 kilometers
thick, was studied. In addition to the usual gneiss rocks, there were
large seems of marble and quartzites. Among the crystalline schists were
massifs of granitoids of the Indian charnockite and the Finnish rapakivi
types. These were connected with pegmatite veins containing mica and rich
veins of iron ore. Under the influence of the glacier movement, accumula-
tions of boulders had formed around the mountains and "oases." Fragments
of magnetite quartzites and schists were frequently found in those areas,
proving the existence of Aron ore beneath the ice cap.
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It has been possible to ascertain a number of important natural laws
in the geological structure of Antarctica. A fundamentally new discovery
in this respect is the three-level structure of the East Antarctic plat-
form instead of the two-level structure, as had been assumed previously.
It was discovered that the present outlines of the coast of East Ant-
arctica are determined by large zones of breaks, along which a large part
of the East Antarctic platform is now settled on the bottom of the Atlan-
tic and Indian Oceans. At the aami~ time, block-shaped mountains were
formed along the periphery of the continent, which were also caused by
two systems of recent breaks. Volcanoes frequentXy appeared at the inter-
sections of these breaks. One of them, Gaussberg, which is located 180
kilometers west of Mirnyy, was active until fairly recently.
Interesting observations have been made regarding the position of
the sea terraces along the coast and regarding the glacier hachure, which
has preserved a record of the glacier movement at different times. This
made it possible to determine several phases of glaciation in Antarctica.
In th~_, interval between these phases, a considerable warming of the cli-
mate took pla::. and the size of the glacial cover was considerably reduced.
In general, the study of the geological structure of the East Ant-
arctic platform is still in its initial stage. The scientists of a num-
ber of countries studying the glacial continent are faced with the task
of active participation in a planned geological survey of the ice-free
areas.
In 1959, the Soviet geologists of the Fourth Antarctic Expedition
plan to make a study of the block-shaped mountains on Queen Maud Land,
where one of the largest mountain systems of Antarctica is located. ("Ex
plorations of Mountain Ranges," by Prof M. Ravich; Moscow, Vodnyy Transport,
25 Nov 58)
USCOMM-DC?-55666 - 10 -
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