198
Carl Wunsch
Figure 12.6. Solid curve is estimated transport of the combined ocean and atmosphere as calculated
from the net outgoing radiation as measured by the ERBE satellites. Dashed line is the estimate from
WOCE hydrography (primarily Ganachaud and Wunsch, 2002, but supplemented by other estimates) of
the meridional flux of heat by the ocean. Dash-dot line is the inferred atmospheric transport as a residual
of the total and ocean. One standard deviation error bars are shown. (From Wunsch, 2005.) Without
WOCE, such calculations would not have been possible for many years, perhaps never.
of heat by the ocean and atmosphere. The ocean component was computed from the
WOCE hydrographic long lines; the atmospheric component was estimated as the
residual left when the oceanic component is subtracted from the net outgoing earth
radiation. Twenty years ago, computing the atmosphere as a residual of measurements
of the ocean would have been a laughable goal—indeed, the best oceanographic
estimates were done the opposite way—with the ocean calculated as a residual of the
atmosphere. Whatever the errors remaining in Figure 12.6 (and they are significant),
WOCE made physical oceanography and climate a mature, quantitative subject quite
unlike what it was in 1980. The challenge now is to sustain the observations and
occasion to asking my wife why I was trying to destroy my career? Sadly, he died just as the program got
underway. I like to think that in the end he would have been pleased by how much we have learned about
the ocean. Toward the end of his life, he did offer a kind of apology—saying that he thought WOCE
was inevitable—in the same way that MODE had been an inevitable program. This comment can be
interpreted in several ways!
Bob Stewart was for many years deeply worried about the Soviet initiative, to the point that he published
(Stewart and Braarud, 1969) an essay explaining why the effort did not make sense. The Soviet push
continued, however (letter from R. W. Stewart to C. Wunsch, 4 April 1983).
Carl Wunsch
Figure 12.6. Solid curve is estimated transport of the combined ocean and atmosphere as calculated
from the net outgoing radiation as measured by the ERBE satellites. Dashed line is the estimate from
WOCE hydrography (primarily Ganachaud and Wunsch, 2002, but supplemented by other estimates) of
the meridional flux of heat by the ocean. Dash-dot line is the inferred atmospheric transport as a residual
of the total and ocean. One standard deviation error bars are shown. (From Wunsch, 2005.) Without
WOCE, such calculations would not have been possible for many years, perhaps never.
of heat by the ocean and atmosphere. The ocean component was computed from the
WOCE hydrographic long lines; the atmospheric component was estimated as the
residual left when the oceanic component is subtracted from the net outgoing earth
radiation. Twenty years ago, computing the atmosphere as a residual of measurements
of the ocean would have been a laughable goal—indeed, the best oceanographic
estimates were done the opposite way—with the ocean calculated as a residual of the
atmosphere. Whatever the errors remaining in Figure 12.6 (and they are significant),
WOCE made physical oceanography and climate a mature, quantitative subject quite
unlike what it was in 1980. The challenge now is to sustain the observations and
occasion to asking my wife why I was trying to destroy my career? Sadly, he died just as the program got
underway. I like to think that in the end he would have been pleased by how much we have learned about
the ocean. Toward the end of his life, he did offer a kind of apology—saying that he thought WOCE
was inevitable—in the same way that MODE had been an inevitable program. This comment can be
interpreted in several ways!
Bob Stewart was for many years deeply worried about the Soviet initiative, to the point that he published
(Stewart and Braarud, 1969) an essay explaining why the effort did not make sense. The Soviet push
continued, however (letter from R. W. Stewart to C. Wunsch, 4 April 1983).