The Seventh General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics was held at Washington D.C., September 4–15, 1939. The American Organizing Committee, through its numerous subcommittees, had made adequate preparations for the reception and entertainment of some 800 delegates and guests but, unfortunately, the war in Europe which broke out just before the Assembly convened prevented the attendance of a large number of foreign delegates and guests who had signified their intention of being present at the meetings. However, despite these adverse conditions, there was a total registration of 537 delegates and guests, including 116 from foreign countries, representing over 26 nations; thus the Assembly was one of the largest of the seven so far held. It was greatly regretted that there were no French or Italian delegates at the meetings, although several of the former came to Washington only to be recalled by their Government before the opening of the Assembly.
The scope of the scientific work of the Ziegler Polar Expedition during the years 1903 to 1905, may be summarized by the following section headings of the results reported in the volume1 recently issued:
A—Magnetic Observations and Reductions;
B—Notes and sketches of the Auroræ Borealis ;
C—Meteorological Observations and Compilations;
D—Tidal Observations and Reductions ;
E—Astronomic Observations and Reductions, and
F—Map Construction and Survey Work.
The American Geophysical Union was established in 1919 as the American Committee of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics and its Executive Committee on Geophysics of the National Research Council. The objects of the Union are to promote the study of problems concerned with the figure and physics of the Earth, to initiate and coordinate researches which depend upon international and national cooperation, and to provide for their scientific discussion and publication. In the accomplishment of these objects, the Union is divided into Sections following the plan of organization of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics. There are now eight Sections, namely, (a) Geodesy, (b) Seismology, (c) Meteorology, (d) Terrestrial Magnetism and Electricity, (e) Oceanography, (f) Volcanology, (g) Hydrology, and (h) Tectonophysics. A Section of Geophysical Chemistry was discontinued May 31, 1924, as the international Union had failed to provide such a Section. The Section of Hydrology was established November 15, 1930—matters pertaining to scientific hydrology referred to the American Geophysical Union had been previously Locked after by special committees on Hydrology. The Section of Tectonophysics was established April 9, 1940, for the purpose of promoting and encouraging research of fundamental importance to our knowledge of Earth‐structure not covered in any one of the other Sections of the Union.
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