220
H. von Storch, J. S ¨
undermann, and L. Magaard
the satellites. There were other people there who did it much better than I would have
done it.
Did the advent of satellites change your science?
Oh yes, it has changed. It began with surface temperatures. That was the first parameter
for which we got global coverage. Then came the clouds, cloud motion vectors, that
gave us the winds. This was an enormous advance.
What about sea level elevations?
Eventually TOPEX and the altimeters. I did not participate in the use of altimeters
anymore. We had younger people who were doing an excellent job at that. It is not
necessary that you do everything.
III
In 1948 the theories about the westward intensification of the big gyres were published.
I was a student at that time and I remember that W¨ ust showed me the paper by
Stommel and it was a big surprise and everybody thought that it is a wonderful thing
that happened. So, these insights are being recognized when they happen.
The physics behind the β-effect and the driving by the wind is relatively simple. Why
has it not been detected earlier?
Because nobody had the idea. That is the reason.
What are the causes of scientific progress?
All the four points you put here.
26 Gelegenheit ist Zufall,
27 it is certainly not
planned. The progress in science I don’t think is planned. It happens when certain
problems are ripe for a solution.
What is the role of nations?
Well, we can keep that short. First of all the role of the various nations in ocean
research is basically dependent on their wealth. The wealthy nations can put a lot of
effort into research and they will succeed because research after all is expensive. I
don’t really know what to answer to that. Different nations are definitely interested
in different things. Japan, for instance, is very interested in resources in fishery and
so on. Other nations are interested in other aspects such as oil or geology.
Such as . . . military?
Military is of course an option. Russia and the U.S. have been tremendously interested
in military aspects of oceanography.
26 On the tentative list of questions, the items funding, opportunity, people, and coincidence were listed.
27 Opportunity is coincidence.
H. von Storch, J. S ¨
undermann, and L. Magaard
the satellites. There were other people there who did it much better than I would have
done it.
Did the advent of satellites change your science?
Oh yes, it has changed. It began with surface temperatures. That was the first parameter
for which we got global coverage. Then came the clouds, cloud motion vectors, that
gave us the winds. This was an enormous advance.
What about sea level elevations?
Eventually TOPEX and the altimeters. I did not participate in the use of altimeters
anymore. We had younger people who were doing an excellent job at that. It is not
necessary that you do everything.
III
In 1948 the theories about the westward intensification of the big gyres were published.
I was a student at that time and I remember that W¨ ust showed me the paper by
Stommel and it was a big surprise and everybody thought that it is a wonderful thing
that happened. So, these insights are being recognized when they happen.
The physics behind the β-effect and the driving by the wind is relatively simple. Why
has it not been detected earlier?
Because nobody had the idea. That is the reason.
What are the causes of scientific progress?
All the four points you put here.
26 Gelegenheit ist Zufall,
27 it is certainly not
planned. The progress in science I don’t think is planned. It happens when certain
problems are ripe for a solution.
What is the role of nations?
Well, we can keep that short. First of all the role of the various nations in ocean
research is basically dependent on their wealth. The wealthy nations can put a lot of
effort into research and they will succeed because research after all is expensive. I
don’t really know what to answer to that. Different nations are definitely interested
in different things. Japan, for instance, is very interested in resources in fishery and
so on. Other nations are interested in other aspects such as oil or geology.
Such as . . . military?
Military is of course an option. Russia and the U.S. have been tremendously interested
in military aspects of oceanography.
26 On the tentative list of questions, the items funding, opportunity, people, and coincidence were listed.
27 Opportunity is coincidence.