Interview with Klaus Wyrtki
231
Is the Baltic a model of the global ocean?
In some ways, yes. It has a wind-driven exchange, the Baltic is either pushing water
out or holding water in, depending on the weather. The study about the water balance
of the Baltic basically summarized the whole story. The Fehmarn belt papers were
about the dynamics of the exchange.
38
Then afterwards the El Ni˜ no papers, and finally sea level and of course all the
things that had to do with the dynamics of the Pacific upper ocean.
Sometimes people say scientists are creative when they are 25/30 years. Then, after
that the creativity is declining. Is that so in your view?
That is putting it too early. Our typical Ph.D. age is 30 now. I was 25. But even at that
time it was an exception, it was more like 27 or so. Unless you make an exceptional
discovery as a graduate student, you start to be a scientist by 30. You need a buildup
time of maybe 10 years. Between 40 and 50 you should have your peak productivity in
new things. Between 50 and 60 should be a period where you consolidate knowledge
and integrate.
Have you thought of writing a book?
Yes, I have. What came nearest to a book was the NAGA Report
39 which you may
call a monograph, also the Indian Ocean Atlas
40 is a big piece of work. I intended to
write a book with the title The Water Masses and Circulation of the Indian Ocean and
I gave it up since it takes about five to six years to write and by that time much of the
information is superceded by new knowledge. Knowledge is accumulating these days
at a rate that you can say after a decade things are old. That’s a too short a lifetime
for a book.
You always had interest not only in science but you traveled a lot and you enjoyed
also the nice environment here in Hawaii. To what extent was this part of your
life also important for the science? This mixing of more private life and scientific
life.
It was a very lucky and favorable choice. First of all it was a true choice to come to
Hawaii. After I had been here in 1958 for the first time I decided essentially that I
would like to live here. Then it was the opportunity that a new institute was being
built up in the middle of the Pacific.
38 Wyrtki, K., 1953: Die Dynamik der Wasserbewegungen im Fehmarnbelt I. Kiel. Meeresforsch., 9 (2),
155–170.
Wyrtki, K., 1954: Die Dynamik der Wasserbewegungen im Fehmarnbelt II. Kiel. Meeresforsch., 10 (2),
162–181.
39 Wyrtki, K., 1961: Physical oceanography of the southeast Asian waters. Univ. Calif., NAGA Rept.,
No. 2, 195 pp.
40 Wyrtki, K., 1971: Oceanographic Atlas of the International Indian Ocean Expedition. National Science
Foundation Publication, OCE/NSF 86-00-001,Washington, DC, 531 pp.
231
Is the Baltic a model of the global ocean?
In some ways, yes. It has a wind-driven exchange, the Baltic is either pushing water
out or holding water in, depending on the weather. The study about the water balance
of the Baltic basically summarized the whole story. The Fehmarn belt papers were
about the dynamics of the exchange.
38
Then afterwards the El Ni˜ no papers, and finally sea level and of course all the
things that had to do with the dynamics of the Pacific upper ocean.
Sometimes people say scientists are creative when they are 25/30 years. Then, after
that the creativity is declining. Is that so in your view?
That is putting it too early. Our typical Ph.D. age is 30 now. I was 25. But even at that
time it was an exception, it was more like 27 or so. Unless you make an exceptional
discovery as a graduate student, you start to be a scientist by 30. You need a buildup
time of maybe 10 years. Between 40 and 50 you should have your peak productivity in
new things. Between 50 and 60 should be a period where you consolidate knowledge
and integrate.
Have you thought of writing a book?
Yes, I have. What came nearest to a book was the NAGA Report
39 which you may
call a monograph, also the Indian Ocean Atlas
40 is a big piece of work. I intended to
write a book with the title The Water Masses and Circulation of the Indian Ocean and
I gave it up since it takes about five to six years to write and by that time much of the
information is superceded by new knowledge. Knowledge is accumulating these days
at a rate that you can say after a decade things are old. That’s a too short a lifetime
for a book.
You always had interest not only in science but you traveled a lot and you enjoyed
also the nice environment here in Hawaii. To what extent was this part of your
life also important for the science? This mixing of more private life and scientific
life.
It was a very lucky and favorable choice. First of all it was a true choice to come to
Hawaii. After I had been here in 1958 for the first time I decided essentially that I
would like to live here. Then it was the opportunity that a new institute was being
built up in the middle of the Pacific.
38 Wyrtki, K., 1953: Die Dynamik der Wasserbewegungen im Fehmarnbelt I. Kiel. Meeresforsch., 9 (2),
155–170.
Wyrtki, K., 1954: Die Dynamik der Wasserbewegungen im Fehmarnbelt II. Kiel. Meeresforsch., 10 (2),
162–181.
39 Wyrtki, K., 1961: Physical oceanography of the southeast Asian waters. Univ. Calif., NAGA Rept.,
No. 2, 195 pp.
40 Wyrtki, K., 1971: Oceanographic Atlas of the International Indian Ocean Expedition. National Science
Foundation Publication, OCE/NSF 86-00-001,Washington, DC, 531 pp.