Scientists and Sea Ice under Surveillance in the Early Cold War

Abstract

On February 24, 1958, 85 individuals from the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, and the Soviet Union gathered in the small town of Easton, Maryland, for a conference on Arctic sea ice.1 Over four days they discussed a range of issues including the characteristics and physical composition of sea ice, its distribution and drift, and issues related to navigation and ice forecasting. Organized by the Earth Sciences Division of the United States National Academy of Sciences (NAS), at the behest of the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the conference was billed as an opportunity for the “productive exchange of facts and ideas.”2 The event reflected the rapid growth of interest in a scientific field with profound implications for military strategy in North America and commerce in the Soviet Union—and the desire for the United States to pick the brains of counterparts from around the world in a field where others almost certainly led, especially in terms of practical experience.KeywordsDrift StationInternational Geophysical YearMilitary PlannerSoviet ResearcherSoviet WorkThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.