Scientists to Study Global Climate Change
on Year-Long Cruise
Aboard NOAA's MALCOLM BALDRIGE
NOAA Ship MALCOLM BALDRIGE, one of the United States largest
and best equipped oceanographic research vessels, will leave Miami, Florida
on February 13, 1995 for an around-the-world scientific expedition to
gather data integral to solving some of the world's most pressing
environmental problems. These investigations will include: Where does all
of the carbon dioxide go when we burn fossil fuels; Is the Indian Ocean a
carbon dioxide source or a carbon dioxide sink; How does the circulation
in the Indian Ocean affect the world's climate; and What pollutants are in
the air overlying the worlds oceans?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the
largest agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce, is sending the ship on
a twelve-month voyage to fulfill one of its prime missions: Searching for
the solutions to many of the most critical environmental problems, including
the greenhouse effect and potential global climate change. During the year,
scientists from NOAA, other U.S. oceanographic research institutions, and
from foreign countries will sail on the MALCOLM BALDRIGE in search
of answers to environmental problems.