Quantum Mechanics
Philosopher Hilary Putnam talks about the challenge philosophers face in trying to interpret scientific functions --such as quantum mechanics-- when the effects are observable, but the function itself is not.
Wave Prediction and Military Operations
Renowned oceanographer and geophysicist Walter Munk talks about the role wave prediction played in the planning of amphibious landings during World War II.
Wave Prediction and the Normandy Invasion
Renowned oceanographer and geophysicist Walter Munk talks about the role wave prediction played in the planning of the Normandy Invasion during World War II. He recalls that the invasion was actually postponed one day because of predictions of unfav...
Internal Waves
Renowned oceanographer and geophysicist Walter Munk talks about the role of internal waves in ocean dynamics. He notes that only in recent years have oceanographers come to understand that internal waves can have a profound impact on what happens ne...
Surf's Up: Wave Climate and the D-Day Story
Just as continental locations have a climate, so, too, do ocean waves. Knowing the wave climate at Normandy became a key part of the planning process in advance of the Allied D-Day invasion during World War II.
Surf's Up: Rogue Waves
While the effects of wind wave energy are mostly felt along the shoreline, the impact of waves can also be felt out in the open ocean. In some cases, as with extraordinarily large "rogue" waves, these kinds of waves are very difficult to predict and...
Surf's Up: Shoreline Effects of Wind Wave Energy
Nearly all of the effects of wind wave energy are felt along the shoreline, often in the form of erosion. The erosion process on the shoreline moves sand from one place to another and, over time, actually changes the orientation of the coast.
Surf's Up: Monitoring and Predicting Wave Processes
Wave monitoring and prediction is important not only for anticipating wave energy on the coast, but out at sea as well. With that in mind, oceanographers have devised a number of highly innovative techniques and devices.
Surf's Up: A Wind Wave's Journey
The typical ocean wave is actually a surface gravity wave, also known as a wind wave. While the notion that most waves are generated by wind blowing over the ocean surface is fairly straightforward, a wave's exact point of origin is often much less ...
Surf's Up: Internal Waves
While wind waves travel on the surface of the ocean; internal waves form beneath the surface, between water layers of different density. They can be very large and much more complex than surface waves.