A Glimpse into the Ocean -- A Conversation Between the Chief Engineer and an Oceanographer About Ocean Circulation

Author: Henry Stommel (American), translated by Li Yunwu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-12-01
Features: This is the fifth volume of the Princeton Science Series. Through a dialogue between a ship's engineer and an oceanographer, it introduces scientific knowledge about the ocean environment. The book is rich in content, illustrated with images, and written in a vivid and fluent style, combining scientific rigor, theoretical depth, knowledge, and readability. It is suitable for professional reference as well as for the general public to appreciate. This book was written during weekends and spare time between shifts—it is merely a personal glimpse into the ocean. It cannot encompass the entirety of modern oceanographic theory but only provides an overview of a specific aspect of upper ocean circulation that I and other scientists have been involved in over the past decade. I am grateful to Klaus (Wolfgang Krauss) for inviting me to Kiel, Germany, in 1976, where this entire exploration began; to Fritz Schott for his enthusiastic collaboration in the preliminary study of Beta Triangle historical data; to Eric Firing, Dave Behringer, and Larry Armi for working together at sea from 1978 to 1981, obtaining a better database and jointly interpreting the findings. I am also grateful to Bill Jenkins for analyzing tritium/helium water samples, which greatly contributed to the confidence in our interpretations. Curtis Collins, a patient and encouraging program officer at the National Science Foundation, made it possible for us to conduct five survey voyages in the Beta Triangle region from 1978 to 1981.