Life and achievements
Early life
Walter Munk was born in 1917 in Vienna, Austria, to a Jewish family. His childhood and youth were influenced by the growth of European fascism, and in 1932, his family decided to emigrate to the United States, and he started attending a boys' preparatory school in New York.
At first, Munk was supposed to continue his father's and grandfather's work in banking, but he did not like it and chose science instead. He attended Columbia University before joining the California Institute of Technology, better known as Caltech, where he graduated with a BSc in physics in 1939 and an MSc in geophysics in 1940.
The change in Munk's career path to oceanography was initiated when he took a summer job at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1939, which he said made him fall in love with oceanography.
He developed further interest in oceanography, especially under the tutelage of the director of Scripps, Harald Sverdrup. Munk's first interests were ocean waves and tides; he received his PhD in oceanography at the University of California at Los Angeles in 1947.
Despite completing his thesis in only three weeks, this work is considered the precursor to his later discoveries in wave forecasting and ocean sound. Munk's exposure to military operations in the Second World War, especially forecasting wave conditions for amphibious operations, interested him in using oceanography.
Legacy
Walter Munk was one of the most outstanding oceanographers of the twentieth century and is still remembered as the "Einstein of the Oceans." Munk's work during the Second World War prevented many deaths, while his post-war work helped scientists unravel the role of oceans in climate.
Munk's most crucial contribution to oceanography is the invention of ocean acoustic tomography, which enabled scientists to measure the temperature and currents of the ocean over long distances using sound. This method proved instrumental in analyzing ocean currents and their effects on climate change.
Another significant aspect of his work has been his activism for the environment and climate change, especially the impending problem of rising sea levels.
Munk was highly appreciated for synthesizing physics, oceanography, and geophysics knowledge. He was awarded many honors and continued participating in scientific debates until his nineties. He passed on in 2019, which was the end of an era, but his work still encourages oceanographers and climate scientists to date.
Milestone moments
May 16, 1943
Wave Prediction for D-Day Landings
In 1943, Walter Munk, with the help of his mentor Harald Sverdrup, devised a formula for forecasting ocean wave climate.
Their work was crucial in planning the D-Day landings in Normandy; precise wave height information was required to synchronize the amphibious assaults.
Munk's method enabled the military to predict the adverse wave conditions, contributing to rescuing lives during D-Day.
This was the first time oceanography was applied to such a massive military campaign and solidified Munk's position as a pioneer.
May 9, 1961
Project Mohole Initiated
In 1961, Munk co-led the development of Project Mohole, a grandiosely ill-fated plan to drill into the Earth's mantle through the ocean floor.
Although the project was stopped in the future, it created a basis for the subsequent attempts at ocean drilling.
Project Mohole was a large-scale scientific project whose main goal was to increase the knowledge of the Earth's interior.
The initiative showed how Munk was a visionary scientist in his thinking and how he was ready to go further in his oceanography research.
Feb 16, 1963
Experiment of Waves Across the Pacific
In 1963, Munk coordinated the "Waves Across the Pacific" experiment, which recorded wave motion from the Indian Ocean to Alaska.
The work pioneered the employment of underwater research methodologies, proving that waves can travel incredible distances without much attenuation.
This work advanced knowledge of wave behaviour and its implications for surf forecasting and wave energy.
The experiment was one of the best examples of how Munk could integrate theoretical investigations with the practice of oceanography.
May 15, 1975
Ocean Acoustic Tomography: Its Development
In 1975, Munk and his associates invented ocean acoustic tomography, a technique of probing ocean temperature and currents using sound waves.
This technique was highly influential in oceanography since it allowed large amounts of data on ocean properties to be collected.
The method was particularly useful in exploring climate change and ocean circulation and, therefore, was one of Munk's most valuable legacies.
Ocean acoustic tomography still serves as an essential instrument in the hands of oceanographers to track the impacts of global warming on the oceans.