John A. Knauss

Gulf stream and Western boundary undercurrent observations at Cape Hatteras

Abstract During July 1967 three volume transport measurements of the Gulf Stream were made off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The measurements were made using ‘transport floats’, free falling instruments which measure the vertically averaged horizontal velocity and depth. The transport values were 58, 67 and 64 × 10 6 m 3 /sec; the average transport was 63 × 10 6 m 3 /sec. The edge of the Gulf Stream for these determinations was defined as the point at which the transport per unit width of the Stream vanished. The transport refers to values normal to a baseline bearing 135°. The velocity measurements indicated that the Gulf Stream extends to the bottom underneath and offshore of the high speed surface layer. A deep southward flow was found on both sides of the deep northward flow. A single hydrographic section was also made across the Gulf Stream. Absolute velocities of the geostrophic currents were determined by forcing the geostrophic transport to agree with the direct transport measurements. An analysis of the temperature-salinity and dissolved oxygen distributions failed to reveal discontinuities between the deep north and South flows. These properties can be related to water properties in the slope water region and Labrador Basin and thus indicate that the southward flowing water is the Western Boundary Undercurrent.

Equatorial Undercurrent of the Indian Ocean

Measurements of currents at the equator in the Indian Ocean indicate the presence of an equatorial undercurrent. This current is similar in many respects to the undercurrent in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The undercurrent in the Indian Ocean is located in the thermocline and is of low magnitude, unsteady, and more strongly developed on the eastern side of the ocean.

Development of the freedom of scientific research issue of the third law of the sea conference

Abstract As a conequence of decisions relating to resource jurisdiction and other issues at the forthcoming Law of the Sea Conference, it is likely that the conduct of bona fide scientific research in the ocean will be made more difficult and, in some cases, perhaps impossible. Many nations, particularly from the developing world, view such research as a threat to their economic and political security. The importance of scientific research and the benefits that flow to all mankind are explained and an attempt is made to differentiate between such research and those activities directly related to resource exploitation. The concerns of the coastal States are examined and suggestions made as to how some of these concerns might be alleviated. The opinions and proposals of the scientific community are discussed. Specific treaty language is proposed.

How the Law of the Sea Treaty Will Affect U.S. Marine Science

The Law of the Sea treaty will clearly affect the way U.S. marine scientists operate in about 40 percent of the ocean. The matter will be made even more complex by the apparent intention of the Reagan Administration to remain outside the treaty.

The international whaling commission— its past and possible future

For most of its 50 years, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was unable to stem the rapid overexploitation of the large whales under its jurisdiction. Since 1986, there has been a moratorium on the killing of any of these whales for com‐mercial purposes. The IWC now has in place a very conservative management plan for the limited taking of a few stocks of whales; however, most members are philosophically opposed to whaling and wish to continue the moratorium. In the authors view, these members should strive for compromise with those who wish to resume limited whaling. Failure to reach a compromise could jeopardize the future of the IWC, and in the long run, jeopardize the future of whales of all sizes, both large and small.

The Ability and Right of Coastal States to Monitor Ship Movement: A Note

Using the Global Positioning System (GPS), a ship knows its position continuously to within a few meters anywhere in the ocean. Small, lightweight, relatively inexpensive instruments calculate the ships position from signals of passing GPS satellites. Oceanographers now attach GPS receivers to floating instruments. These floating buoys broadcast their positions and other data to passing communication satellites, which in turn transmit that information to shore stations. Clearly, a similar locator device (LD) could be placed aboard a ship and its position tracked continuously from shore. We suggest that under the U.N. Law of the Sea Treaty, coastal states can require activated LDs on all ships, including war ships, traversing its territorial sea, archipelagic sea lanes, and straits used for international passage. We further suggest states can require many classes of ships to carry activated LDs while traversing their exclusive economic zones or working above their continental shelf.Using the Global Positioning System (GPS), a ship knows its position continuously to within a few meters anywhere in the ocean. Small, lightweight, relatively inexpensive instruments calculate the ships position from signals of passing GPS satellites. Oceanographers now attach GPS receivers to floating instruments. These floating buoys broadcast their positions and other data to passing communication satellites, which in turn transmit that information to shore stations. Clearly, a similar locator device (LD) could be placed aboard a ship and its position tracked continuously from shore. We suggest that under the U.N. Law of the Sea Treaty, coastal states can require activated LDs on all ships, including war ships, traversing its territorial sea, archipelagic sea lanes, and straits used for international passage. We further suggest states can require many classes of ships to carry activated LDs while traversing their exclusive economic zones or working above their continental shelf.

Knauss receives 2006 Waldo E. Smith Medal

John A. Knauss was awarded the Waldo E. Smith Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting honors ceremony, which was held on 13 December 2006 in San Francisco, Calif. The medal recognizes extraordinary service to geophysics. John Knauss has served as a leader and key decision-maker in the scientific community and the public sector for nearly six decades. From the start of his career he focused on the most fundamental elements of the physical dynamics of the ocean, developing the seminal thinking in topics as diverse as turbulence effects on acoustics and deep ocean current observations. His early work on the Cromwell current established John as a leading researcher in the geophysics community. He quickly established a global reputation for his seminal work on the current structure of many major ocean circulation features. By the mid 1960s, Knauss had already established his scientific credentials and leadership role, with a robust bibliography of technical papers in the most prestigious scientific journals. Notably, in the years leading to this position, John also worked as a naval officer at the newly formed U.S. Office of Naval Research and as a staff member of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (La Jolla, Calif.).