Harald Sverdrup (oceanographer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harald Sverdrup
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| Born | 15 November 1888 Sogndal, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
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| Died | 21 August 1957 (aged 68) |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Alma mater | University of Oslo University of Leipzig |
| Known for | Geophysical fluid dynamics Ocean dynamics Physical oceanography Sverdrup balance Sverdrup wave Sverdrup’s Critical Depth Hypothesis Sverdrup (unit) |
| Awards | Vega Medal (1930) Alexander Agassiz Medal (1938) Patron's Medal (1950) William Bowie Medal (1951) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Oceanography, meteorology |
| Institutions | Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen Scripps Institution of Oceanography Norwegian Polar Institute |
| Doctoral advisor | Vilhelm Bjerknes |
| Doctoral students | Walter Munk |
Harald Ulrik Sverdrup (born November 15, 1888 – died August 21, 1957) was a famous Norwegian oceanographer and meteorologist. He studied the oceans and weather. He was in charge of important research places like the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Norwegian Polar Institute.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Harald Sverdrup was born in Sogndal, Norway. His father was a theologian, which is someone who studies religion. Harald was one of four children. His sister, Mimi, became an educator and writer. His brother, Leif, became a General in the U.S. Army.
Harald went to school in Bergen and Stavanger. He later studied at the University of Oslo. In 1917, he earned his PhD from the University of Leipzig in Germany. His teacher was a well-known scientist named Vilhelm Bjerknes.
Exploring the World's Oceans
Harald Sverdrup was the lead scientist on a big trip to the North Pole with explorer Roald Amundsen. They sailed on the ship Maud from 1918 to 1925. During this expedition, Sverdrup measured how deep the ocean was. He also studied ocean currents and tides in the East Siberian Sea. His work helped us understand how tides move in the ocean.
After this long journey, he became a professor of meteorology at the University of Bergen in Norway.
Leading Ocean Research
In 1936, Sverdrup became the director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California. He was supposed to stay for three years, but World War II made him stay until 1948. While at Scripps, he led 33 research trips on the ship E. W. Scripps. These trips collected lots of information about the ocean off the coast of California.
He also created a simple idea called the Sverdrup balance. This idea helps explain how wind makes ocean currents move in large circles, called gyres.
Discoveries in Ocean Biology
After leaving Scripps, Sverdrup became the director of the Norwegian Polar Institute in Oslo. He kept working on oceanography, which is the study of the ocean. He also studied ocean biology and the polar regions.
One of his important ideas was the critical depth hypothesis (from 1953). This idea helps explain why tiny ocean plants, called phytoplankton, suddenly grow a lot in the spring. This big growth is called a spring bloom.
Honors and Legacy
Harald Sverdrup was a member of many important science groups. These included the United States National Academy of Sciences and the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. He also led international groups focused on oceanography.
He wrote many scientific papers and books. His most famous book was The Oceans: Their Physics, Chemistry and General Biology. This book was published in 1942 and was used to teach oceanography for 40 years around the world.
The Sverdrup Unit
A special unit of measurement is named after Harald Sverdrup. It is called the Sverdrup (Sv). This unit is used to describe how much water moves in ocean currents. One Sverdrup means one million cubic meters of water moving per second. That's a huge amount of water!
Awards and Recognition
Sverdrup received many awards for his important work. These included the William Bowie Medal and the Alexander Agassiz Medal. He also received the Patron's Medal and the Vega Medal. He was also given the Swedish Order of the Polar Star.
The American Meteorological Society created the Sverdrup Gold Medal Award in his honor. A Norwegian research vessel, the M/S H.U. Sverdrup II, is also named after him. In Antarctica, a group of peaks called the Sverdrup Nunataks were named after him in 1977.
Personal Life
In 1928, Harald Sverdrup married Gudrun Bronn. He also adopted her daughter, Anna Margrethe.
| Preceded by T. Wayland Vaughan |
Director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography 1936–1948 |
Succeeded by Carl Eckart |
Images for kids
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The research vessel MS H.U. Sverdrup II is named in Harald Sverdrup's honor.
