Walter Munk | |
|---|---|
 Munk in 1956. | |
| Born | Walter Heinrich Munk October 19, 1917 |
| Died | February 8, 2019 (aged 101)[3]
[4][5][6] La Jolla, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Columbia University California Institute of Technology (BS, MS) Scripps Institution of Oceanography/University of California, Los Angeles (PhD) |
| Awards | Maurice Ewing Medal (1976) Alexander Agassiz Medal (1976) National Medal of Science (1985) Bakerian Lecture (1986) William Bowie Medal (1989) Vetlesen Prize (1993) Kyoto Prize (1999) Prince Albert I Medal (2001) Crafoord Prize (2010) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Oceanography, geophysics |
| Thesis | Increase in the period of waves traveling over large distances : with applications to tsunamis, swell, and seismic surface waves (1946) [1] |
| Doctoral advisor | Harald Ulrik Sverdrup |
| Doctoral students | Charles Shipley Cox, June Pattullo[2] |
Walter Heinrich Munk (October 19, 1917 – February 8, 2019)[3] was an American physical oceanographer.[3][7] He was one of the first scientists to bring statistical methods to the analysis of oceanographic data. Munk worked on a wide range of topics, including surface waves, geophysical implications of variations in the Earth's rotation, tides, internal waves, deep-ocean drilling into the sea floor, acoustical measurements of ocean properties, sea level rise, and climate change. His work won awards including the National Medal of Science, the Kyoto Prize, and induction to the French Legion of Honour.
Munk's career began before the outbreak of World War II and ended nearly 80 years later with his death in 2019. The war interrupted his doctoral studies at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (Scripps), and led to his participation in U.S. military research efforts. Munk and his doctoral advisor Harald Sverdrup developed methods for forecasting wave conditions which were used in support of beach landings in all theaters of the war. He was involved with oceanographic programs during the atomic bomb tests in Bikini Atoll.
Beginning in 1975, Munk and Carl Wunsch developed ocean acoustic tomography to exploit the ease with which sound travels in the ocean and use acoustical signals for measurement of broad-scale temperature and current. In a 1991 experiment, Munk and his collaborators investigated the ability of underwater sound to propagate from the Southern Indian Ocean across all ocean basins, with the aim of measuring global ocean temperature. The experiment was criticized by environmental groups, who expected that the loud acoustic signals would adversely affect marine life. Munk continued to develop and advocate for acoustical measurements of the ocean throughout his career.
For most of his career, he was a professor of geophysics at Scripps at the University of California in La Jolla. Additionally, Munk and his wife Judy were active in developing the Scripps campus and integrating it with the new University of California, San Diego. Munk's career included being a member of the JASON think tank, and holding the Secretary of the Navy/Chief of Naval Operations Oceanography Chair.
- ^ Walter Munk (1946). "Increase in the period of waves traveling over large distances: with applications to tsunamis, swell, and seismic surface waves". University of California, Los Angeles Library. p. 41. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Day, Deborah. "Walter Heinrich Munk Biography" (PDF).
- ^ a b c "Obituary Notice: Walter Munk, World-Renowned Oceanographer, Revered Scientist". Scripps Institution of Oceanography. February 8, 2019. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
- ^ Dicke, William (February 9, 2019). "Walter H. Munk, Scientist-Explorer Who Illuminated the Deep, Dies at 101". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
- ^ NBC 7 Staff. "World-Renowned Oceanographer Walter Munk Dies at 101". NBC 7 San Diego. Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Robbins, Gary. "Walter Munk, La Jolla scientist-explorer dubbed the 'Einstein of the Oceans,' dies at 101". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
- ^ Yam, P (1995). "Profile: Walter H. Munk – The Man Who Would Hear Ocean Temperatures". Scientific American. 272 (1): 38–40. Bibcode:1995SciAm.272a..38Y. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0195-38.