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Such evolution continued in the 1970s. After 25 years, MPL was changing
in many ways. With the development of marine geophysics based on Russell
Raitt and George Shor’s seismic methods, the Spiess Deep Tow system
and Vacquier’s group’s geomagnetic and heat flow interests,
the National Science Foundation became
a major element in the laboratory’s support. Most important, a
second generation of senior staff members emerged.
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There
was further diversification growing out of these new capabilities
and expanding the nature of existing activities. Rob
Pinkel completed his Ph.D. using FLIP
as a base for studying internal waves and joined the staff, introducing
a physical oceanography component. This program quickly drew on
acoustic technology as Pinkel developed a FLIP-mounted
Doppler sonar (top) approach to observing
the dynamics of the upper ocean, finding a much more complex environment
than could be seen with prior instrumentation.
Peter Lonsdale, after completing his degree using the Deep
Tow system to study seafloor morphology, joined the staff, bringing
geology into the fold (middle).
The Deep Tow system (bottom) was very active, averaging about
three expeditions per year under the leadership of Fred
Spiess, Peter Lonsdale,
John Mudie, and Kenneth Macdonald. Activity ranged from searching
for lost equipment to manganese-nodule research to the discovery
of hydrothermal vents at the crest of the Galapagos Spreading
Center. Victor Vacquier’s group continued its geomagnetic
investigations while the heat-flow portion of his group, augmented
during this period by John Sclater, documented spatial variations
in the heat-flow field in relation to seafloor spreading. |
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FLIP was used by Fred Fisher’s
group and Gerald Morris for a variety of underwater acoustic investigations
documenting the nature of the ambient noise field and various propagation
phenomena. Special tools were developed from these studies, including
vertical arrays of hydrophones that could be positioned at interesting
depths throughout the water column, and a 48-element array mounted on
the bottom (aft) end of FLIP.
The 48-element array was only one of the several DIMUS-based research
arrays built by Victor Anderson’s group. Two larger systems were
assembled, each in its own submersible barge-like structure operating
suspended below ORB to provide high-angular-resolution observations
of scattering and ambient noise as well as exploring the limits on array
size. William Hodgkiss was
recruited in the signal processing arena, creating a more physics-oriented
perspective to complement Anderson’s hardware orientation and
Hodgkiss began to be involved with the FLIP-based acoustics program.
Kenneth Watson, with a background in plasma physics and scattering theory
was named director of MPL in 1981. At this time a significant portion
of MPL support came from Navy block funding (MPL was then considered
one of four so-called “Navy-University Laboratories”). This
and other current funding sources were recognized as inadequate to sustain
the MPL research programs. Also, the hiring of new, young staff was
seen as of high priority. In timely response to these needs, the ONR
in 1981 began granting an annual Director’s Discretionary Fund
to MPL. This provided valuable “seed money” for hiring new
staff and starting new research programs.
In the following years MPL recruited several new members of the research
staff. This included John Hildebrand,
Jules Jaffe, Grant
Deane, Andrew Dickson,
Jerome Smith, Spahr Webb, Gerald
D’Spain, and Christian deMoustier. At the more senior level
of appointments were those of Mike
Buckingham and Ken Melville.
Split appointments with other divisions of SIO became common. MPL funding
became more diversified as these new appointees received contracts and
grants.
During the mid-1980’s Charles Bishop managed a program to assist
with engineering and maintenance of the Navy Deep Submergence research
submarines. These submarines were used by Peter
Lonsdale and John Hildebrand
in their geophysics and gravity anomaly research.
A very high resolution acoustic array was completed under Hildebrand’s
direction. This array was extensively deployed in Navy programs during
the 1980’s.
The Mt. Soledad facility was opened in the mid-1980’s by Andrew
Dickson as a laboratory for studying chemical processes in the oceans.
The Visibility Laboratory,
a division of SIO, was terminated in the late 1980’s. At this
time, MPL annexed the Remote Sensing Group, which had been a part of
the Visibility Laboratory.
Throughout this period the Deep Tow group, directed by Fred
Spiess, continued the development of acoustic and optical sensors
and the use of these for geophysical research. The group directed by
Rob Pinkel made major improvements
to Doppler sonar technology and applied these to the study of internal
waves and upper ocean turbulence. Laboratory and in situ studies
of upper ocean and surface wave phenomena were made by Jerry
Smith and Ken Melville.
Innovative acoustic imaging techniques were developed by Jules
Jaffe and Mike Buckingham.
Thanks to Dr's. Fred N. Spiess and
William A. Kuperman for this contribution which also appears in a special
edition of Oceanography which celebrates 100
years of oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
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