On this day in history,...
...in 1942, the first edition of The Oceans: Their Physics, Chemistry, and General Biology by Harald Sverdrup, Martin W. Johnson, and Richard H. Fleming was published. This monumental work quickly became a foundational text in oceanography, shaping generations of oceanographers and setting a benchmark for comprehensive studies of the world's oceans.
Spanning approximately 1,000 pages, the book dedicates 9 of its 20 chapters to physical oceanography, reflecting the importance of this discipline in understanding the oceans. These chapters are complemented by detailed maps of key oceanographic variables, offering an unparalleled synthesis of physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the marine environment. The breadth and depth of the content are truly remarkable, giving readers the sense that the core principles of oceanography were solidified within its pages. As a result, much of the subsequent work in the field has felt like refining and building upon the groundwork laid in this exceptional text.
Even decades later, The Oceans continues to inspire awe for its ambitious scope and meticulous detail. It remains a testament to the remarkable achievements of Sverdrup, Johnson, and Fleming in synthesizing the state of knowledge of their time.
The full story behind the production of the book can be found here, by Deborah Day (2003).
An electronic version of the book can be visited here.
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