EOS, vol. 63, no. 14, April 6, 1982, pages 219, 223 intermediary between the EDIS computer and the user's computer. Requested data would be transmitted within 24 hours. DAS also will provide facilities for automated sub- mission of computer-readable data to EDIS. The completion of the DAS is about 2 years down the road, Churgin estimates. With the proliferation of desktop terminals and computers, DAS will become increasingly important to oceanographers, according to Richard Abrams, an oceanographer at NODC.—BTR News & Announcements NSB Endorses Explorer The National Science Board (NSB) recently voted to endorse a program of scientific ocean drilling that would replace the 14-year- old Glomar Challenger with the Glomar Explorer as the pillar of scientific drilling. This vote by the policymaking arm of the National Science Foundation (NSF) gives another boost to the proposed drilling plan. The plan also has the blessings of the Conference on Scientific Ocean Drilling (COSOD) and of the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Ocean Drilling. NSF now will approach the Office of Sci- ence and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to request that $9 million of NSF funds be transferred to the Advanced Ocean Drilling (AOD) program in fiscal 1983 for the next design stages for the Explorer (Eos, March 2, 1982, p. 179). With the support of NSB, CO- SOD, and the NAS committee, the request goes to OSTP and OMB with strong backing. If OSTP and OMB give the transfer the green light, Congress will review the request. Both COSOD and the NAS committee re- viewed only the drilling program's scientific plan. Cost comparisons of the Explorer and the Challenger were not issued until the mid- dle of March; COSOD (Eos, December 22, Books Proceedings of the International Committee on Geodynamics R. A. K. Tahirkheli, M. Q. Jan, and M. Majid (Eds.), Group 6 Meeting at Peshawar, No- vember 23-29, 1979, National Centre of Ex- cellence in Geology, Peshawar, Pakistan, 213 pp., 1980, 82 francs (hardback), 70 francs (paperback). Reviewed by Klaus Jacob This special volume, vol. 13, 1980, of the Geological Bulletin, University of Peshawar, Pa- kistan, on the Geodynamics of the NW Hima- layas, contains 213 pages, 23 articles with 96 figures and 28 tables, authored by 36 contrib- utors from 7 countries (Pakistan, U.S., Explorer Versus Challenger: Basic Category Labor Ship Shore Support Crew travel in U.S.. Provisions Lube oil, spares, maintenance Drydocking and painting Communication Fuel Other daily operating expenses 0 Subtotal Fee or return on investment^ Totals 1981, p. 1197) was held in mid November, and the interim report of the Committee on Ocean Drilling was issued in December. However, NSB had, in addition to a com- parison of the scientific capabilities of both ships, a report from the Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. comparing the operational costs of the Explorer to those of the Challenger (see Ta- ble 1). 'The estimated day rate for the Explor- er,' the report states, 'in current year dollars is $51,356. The rates for the Challenger are estimated at $46,451. The 11 % difference can be justified in terms of the scientific [crew] on board the Explorer and its greater capability to meet both the near-term and long-term ob- jectives of scientific ocean drilling.' Prelimi- nary estimates show that the conversion of the Explorer to a drill ship without riser and well-control technologies would cost $69.6 million (in October 1983 dollars), while the costs to rehabilitate the Challenger would total approximately $11 million. France, India, Switzerland, Italy, U.K.). The volume truthfully reflects the diversity and intensity of the recent international scientific effort toward understanding Himalayan geo- dynamics. To be frank: The editorial, production, and scientific quality of this conference book is as mixed as Himalayan collision tectonics it- self. Yet, beneath the poor editorial melange, there rest valuable scientific treasures. Partic- ularly to those earth scientists' interested in oceanic subduction zones and island arcs, this book on (now) purely continental tectonics is a really surprising find. The centerpiece of attention is the now deeply eroded Kohistan belt interpreted to be an uplifted Mesozoic is- land arc and its associated fore-arc, back-arc, and subduction complexes. Cenozoic collision tectonics has partially exposed lower crustal or subcrustal levels of any or all of the arc- trench elements. They appear petrologically Daily Operating Costs, in dollars Explorer Challenger 18,454 16,258" 2,303 1,230* 475 1,285 — 1,872 6,428* 932 — 333 220 11,118 3,520 10,780 8,815 47,552 36,471 3,804 9,980 51,356 46,451 The National Science Board unanimously agreed at its meeting March 17-19 that 'a program of scientific ocean drilling is and will continue for an extended period to be an es- sential component of basic research in the earth and ocean sciences.' As such, the board authorized the NSF director to 'secure com- mitment of the government-owned ship Ex- plorer to this program, to seek resources to complete design and planning efforts for Ad- vanced Ocean Drilling during FY 1983, and to undertake negotiations with current and future international partners for scientific participation and financial support of the Ad- vanced Ocean Drilling Program.' The conversion being considered for the Explorer under AOD is an extension of the Challenger's drilling program. The Explorer, five times larger than the Challenger, would be a more versatile ship because, among oth- er attributes, it could drill closer to the poles and could drill to greater depths.—BTR characterized by pyroxene granulites, eclo- gite, and garnet amphibolitic mineral assem- blages. Structural and stratigraphic control is poor in most regions; and, thus, tectonic in- terpretations given by some authors may need revisions. But, geochemists will find a surprising number of major and minor ele- ment analyses and composition diagrams to test for possible affinities of the sampled rocks with ocean floor-, island arc-, and conti- nent-derived igneous or metamorphic assem- blages. Trace element and isotope studies are still few. The Himalayan juxtaposition of varied time-stratigraphic and tectonic units explains the range of subjects and methods covered. Bordet summarizes the geologic evolution of westerly adjacent portions of Afghanistan. Gansser describes the setting of the double suture in the northwestern Himalaya that brackets the Ladakh and Swat batholiths. He avoids tectonic interpretations but excels in fine field sketches of geologic traverses. Sinha concisely introduces stratigraphic units from Source: Lockheed Missiles & Space Co., March 16, 1982. a Global subcontract day-rate item (general and administration expenses allocated to labor). *Scripps Institution of Oceanography prime contract item. c Includes logging, transport, mud/cement, casing, bits and tools, logistics, port services, inspection, equipment losses, etc. d The Explorer is owned by the government. Therefore, costs such as taxes, insurance, and profit from investment are not applicable to Explorer as with the privately owned Challenger. This page may be freely copied.