An Interview with World Renowned Oceanographer - Walter Munk

January 31, 2016. Max Guinn and Walter Munk, at Munk's home in La Jolla, California. Credit: S. Guinn Ask my generation--I am 15--to identify its heroes, and you will likely be given a roster of NBA names. Few, if any, have heard of Walter Munk, the world's greatest living oceanographer. Called "The Einstein of the Oceans" by the New York Times, Munk's scientific contributions are almost unbelievable. Following Munk's accomplishments is a Forrest Gump journey through history. As far as great inventors go, Munk ranks with Thomas Edison. He is recognized for groundbreaking discoveries in wave propagation, ocean drilling, tides, currents, worldwide ocean circulation, and even our understanding of why the moon stopped rotating. His work serves as the basis for deep sea oil drilling and scientific ocean exploration. However, the legendary 98-year-old Munk may be best known for a scientific discovery he made when he was only 24, which arguably led to Allied forces winning World War II. In 1942, Munk took a job in the Pentagon. At the time, the Germans were overrunning Europe. American troops, about to embark on their first wave of amphibious landings in Northwest Africa, were practicing beach landings in South Carolina. Watching, Munk learned when the bow of the landing craft dropped, to allow soldiers to storm the beach, waves higher than five feet broke into the craft, injuring them. Researching average wave heights in Northwest Africa, Munk found they exceeded six fee...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news