Chapter 6
El Ni ˜
no and Ocean
Observations
A Personal History
MICHAEL J. McPHADEN
When you can measure what you are speaking about and express it in numbers,
then you know something about it.
—Lord Kelvin, 1883
PROLOGUE
This article presents a brief personal account of my involvement in tropical ocean
studies and observing system development over the past 30 years. The purpose is
to provide perspective on the process of conducting scientific research against the
backdrop of community wide efforts to better describe, understand, and predict El
Ni˜ no. Failures as well as successes are highlighted to illustrate how unexpected events,
blind alleys and supportive colleagues can shape a career. The most significant lesson
from this experience is that systematic long-term observations are of fundamental
importance to advancing our knowledge of the oceans and their role in regulating
climate variability.
Michael J. McPhaden, Senior Research Scientist, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.
79
El Ni ˜
no and Ocean
Observations
A Personal History
MICHAEL J. McPHADEN
When you can measure what you are speaking about and express it in numbers,
then you know something about it.
—Lord Kelvin, 1883
PROLOGUE
This article presents a brief personal account of my involvement in tropical ocean
studies and observing system development over the past 30 years. The purpose is
to provide perspective on the process of conducting scientific research against the
backdrop of community wide efforts to better describe, understand, and predict El
Ni˜ no. Failures as well as successes are highlighted to illustrate how unexpected events,
blind alleys and supportive colleagues can shape a career. The most significant lesson
from this experience is that systematic long-term observations are of fundamental
importance to advancing our knowledge of the oceans and their role in regulating
climate variability.
Michael J. McPhaden, Senior Research Scientist, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.
79