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Nuclear-powered submarines
have enabled scientists to collect data not only from the ocean depths
but also from remote and otherwise inaccessible regions of the earth.
Knowledge of the polar regions, in particular, has benefitted greatly
from the nuclear-powered submarine's ability to travel great distances
under the ice cap, then break through to the surface in areas that otherwise
could not be reached at all. The remote Arctic was a major scene of submarine
activity during the Cold War, a place where fast attacks hunted hiding
boomers.
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At the North Pole (above)
On 17 March 1959, the USS Skate (SSN-578) became the first submarine
in history to surface at the North Pole. U.S. Navy photo
The Arctic from
Below
In September 1960, the periscope of the USS Seadragon (SSN-584)
views the Arctic ice pack from below, seeking an opening in the ice to
surface. Courtesy Naval Historical Center
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