Chapter 3
Modeling Ocean
Circulation
1960–1990, the Weather
Bureau, and Princeton
KIRK BRYAN
Computing and numerical modeling have become such an important part of almost
every scientific field, including oceanography, that it must be nearly impossible for
a young person coming into the field today to imagine the precomputer era. Then
as now, most physical oceanographers were concerned with the exploration of the
oceans through measurements. There also existed a small group of theorists, and a
few remarkable individuals with a foot in both camps, like Harrold Sverdrup, Walter
Munk, and Henry Stommel. After a long incubation period numerical models of ocean
circulation have now evolved into a third element in oceanographic research, partially
bridging the gap between theory and observations and forming links with related disciplines. The original impetus for developing ocean models came from outside the
oceanographic research community. As far back as the 1920s L. F. Richardson (1922)
had a vision of mathematical models of the Earth’s climate that would include the
Kirk Bryan, Senior Research Scholar, Princeton University.
29
Modeling Ocean
Circulation
1960–1990, the Weather
Bureau, and Princeton
KIRK BRYAN
Computing and numerical modeling have become such an important part of almost
every scientific field, including oceanography, that it must be nearly impossible for
a young person coming into the field today to imagine the precomputer era. Then
as now, most physical oceanographers were concerned with the exploration of the
oceans through measurements. There also existed a small group of theorists, and a
few remarkable individuals with a foot in both camps, like Harrold Sverdrup, Walter
Munk, and Henry Stommel. After a long incubation period numerical models of ocean
circulation have now evolved into a third element in oceanographic research, partially
bridging the gap between theory and observations and forming links with related disciplines. The original impetus for developing ocean models came from outside the
oceanographic research community. As far back as the 1920s L. F. Richardson (1922)
had a vision of mathematical models of the Earth’s climate that would include the
Kirk Bryan, Senior Research Scholar, Princeton University.
29