Morskoi Atlas (Marine Atlas), Vol. II: Fiziko-Geograficheskiy (Physical Geography)

Harold W. Dubach reviews Volume II, Physical Geography, of the Soviet Marine Atlas (1953). Its 76 plates compile worldwide information on seabed topography and geology, physical and chemical oceanography, marine biology, marine climate, and related subjects. Dubach praises its production and cartographic quality and considers it an excellent summary of marine environmental conditions. His principal criticisms concern the absence of information about observational sources, data quantity and quality, and major references; gaps in coverage of Arctic waters adjoining the USSR and several other seas; and problems with some insets, scales, and chart arrangements. Russian-only text limits its use in the United States. U.S. Hydrographic Office Technical Report 38 provides chart-by-chart evaluation, comparisons with other sources, and selected translations.