Reviews

Abstract

Dietrich, Gunter, General Oceanography, an Introduction, Interscience Publishers, New York, 588 pp., 1963, $20.00 (translated from the German).The study of the ocean has its roots in man's attempt to conquer the vast area of water between continents and islands and to obtain food from its depths. The research was generally confined to marine biology, the study of currents, and the occasional determination of depth by hemp line and lead. The systematic recording of all observations at sea and their collection in charts made by Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury (1806–1873) may be regarded as the beginning of oceanography. He was mainly concerned with the physical processes of the surface of the ocean, but interest in the laying of transatlantic telegraph cables prompted him to organize a large sounding program also. Although oceanography has progressed continuously since that time, some really significant steps occurred during large expeditions such as the Challenger (1873–1876) and the Meteor (1925–1927). The importance of oceanography has grown since World War I, which was largely fought underwater; and it is now, to a great extent, the basic nucleus of our defense. The study of the ocean also provides a basis for understanding the history of the Earth's surface and the origin of life.