Hans Ertel and International Science: The International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics

Abstract

When I was invited to prepare a paper for this volume honoring Hans Ertel, my immediate reply was that I had retired, my laboratory was closed down, and I had no new data or unpublished ideas to report. The Editor, Wilfried Schroder, generously suggested that in a volume honoring the work of a scientist dealing with problems of global scale, it would be appropriate for me to present a statement about the activities of the seven Associations comprising the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics. Hans Enel's research spanned several fields, as indicated by his titles of Professor of Geophysics. Theoretical Mechanics and Meteorology, and Director of the Institute of Physical Hydrography. The research ranged from interactions between the ocean and atmosphere to those between the stratosphere and troposphere. His theoretical work on fluid dynamics has wide applications, and he published in addition on geodesy, inhomogeneous magnetic fields, theory of earth currents, weather forecasting, coastal problems, geomorphology arid seiches. His responsibilities as Vice-President or Director of Academies and Institutes during the 1950s involved international cooperation and exchange of ideas with scientists all over the world. He was an editor of several geophysical and meteorological journals (German language), and has stimulated many international conferences in physics and geophysics. He played a significant role in development of IUGG's International Geophysical Year (1957-58), and later worked on the program of the International Hydrological Decade. The 50th Anniversary of the International Geophysical Year will be celebrated very soon. The present interdisciplinary character of geophysical sciences was emphasized in my Presidential Address at the Opening Ceremony of the XXIl General Assembly of IUGG in Birmingham. July 1999, the text of which is reproduced below. From what I have learned of Hans Ertel and his research I feel confident that, if still living, this "seminal figure in the development of modem meteorology and geophysics" (quotation from W. Schroder) would have fitted comfortably into the 1999 General Assembly Program, with honor.

Files

Additional details