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1. INTRODUCTION
This report addresses all three aspects of international activities
in the geosciences--basic research, economic applications, and the
potential role of geosciences in fostering U.S. interests abroad.
Because the three aspects are closely intertwined, the current
deficiencies and the possible remedies are also intertwined.
Science is global; the laws of physics hold throughout the world.
Thus scientists, especially those pursuing basic research, have a
desire and a need for international communication. Because the world
is their laboratory? the earth sciences, including the solid, liquid,
and gaseous earth, benefit greatly from worldwide study and
international communication. Of these, the study of the solid earth,
the geological sciences, is in a period of rapid development occasioned
by the advent of plate tectonics.
The concept of plate tectonics developed over the past 20 years has
matured and has provided geologists with a credible theory and dynamic
model that ties together the motions of continents, the origin of
mountains and earthquakes, and the formation of many mineral deposits.
To understand the components of this global model, the geologist must
go where they are best displayed and communicate with colleagues from
those areas.
Other geologic topics that are studied best on a global scale
include volcanism, earthquakes, climatic cycles (including the glacial
epochs of the recent geologic past), intercontinental correlation of
geologic strata, and the action of survival processes on different
landscapes under varying climatic conditions.
It was against this background that the Committee on Global and
International Geology set out to investigate the perception that
American participation in international geoscience activities was
diminishing. It quickly became obvious that the general perception is
true even though verifiable precise figures are difficult to obtain.
Actual attendance at major congresses fluctuates rather widely
depending on the time of year, geographic locale, and the presence or
absence of other ''inducements" (such as exchange rate)--and no real
trend can be documented by the rough figures for attendance at general
s
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6
sessions of unions such as the IUGG and JUGS.* The decline becomes
apparent when one talks to panel members for cooperative projects who
have had to forego important symposia planning meetings or workshops
due to lack of travel support.
Our descriptions, therefore, are anecdotal rather than
quantitative, but they all point in the same direction, i.e., U.S.
activities in the international aspects of the geosciences are
decreasing.
The geosciences are vital to the welfare of all nations and should
play an important role in a nation's economic and foreign policies.
This has been recognized by many European countries, Japan, and the
Soviet Union, all of whom have active programs related to the technical
and material sources of the developing countries through cooperative
projects, scientific exchanges, aid to their nation's private firms
involved in developing markets, and more indirect means. Clearly, the
United States needs to awaken to the role of the geosciences in the
conduct of foreign affairs and the advancement of our economic
interests overseas. It was the realization of this aspect of U.S.
activity that persuaded the committee to interpret its charge broadly,
and to emphasize "participation in all aspects of global and
international geology."
The committee has summarized what it considers to be the major
components of current civilian actions in American geoscience abroad.
Discussion of activities directly related to national defense has been
omitted, although the committee believes that the United States could
benefit from international geoscience programs in this area too. For
the sake of brevity, there is only limited discussion of the affairs of
international societies because these are better known than are the
activities of, for example, the regional research officers of the State
Department or the compilation of data on foreign mineral deposits by
the U.S. Bureau of Mines. These latter activities are summarized in
the context of this report.
Finally, the committee has tried to point out in its
recommendations not only the problems that need resolution but also how
that resolution might be accomplished.
*Actual numbers at IUGG have varied between 400 and 800 over the past
20 years, but the totals seem to reflect the place and time more than
any other factor. Similarly JUGS (Congress) figures range between 350
and 750, the high figure coming from the very popular Copenhagen
meeting in 1960.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
international geoscience
