A View of the Sea: A Discussion Between a Chief Engineer and an Oceanographer About the Machinery of the Ocean Circulation

From Library Journal In this book for the lay reader, an eminent oceanographer who has contributed much to modern concepts of ocean circulation focuses on circulation of the upper ocean. A dialogue between an oceanographer and a research vessel's chief engineer shows how theoretical models of ocean circulation can be applied to data collected to explain ocean circulation phenomena. Major topics include gravity and pressure, earth's rotation, Coriolis force, density field measurements, geostrophic velocity, and wind-driven models. An appendix lists nine pc-based programs that graphically illustrate the book's concepts. General readers with some scientific background will gain insight to oceanographers' research methods and problems in this complicated field. Kendra Peterson St. Aubin, Sippican Inc. Lib., Marion, Mass.Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review "Henry Stommel has interesting and often original views about life in general and science in particular, some of which shine through in the anecdotes and 'one-liners' that enliven every chapter of what will doubtless and deservedly prove to be a highly successful attempt to explain important aspects of the ocean circulation to a wide audience."--