Vagn walfrid ekman biography template
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On this day in history,...
...in 1874, Vagn Walfrid Ekman was born in Stockholm, Sweden. His father, Fredrik Laurentz Ekman, was an esteemed oceanographer. Immersed in an environment rich in scientific inquiry, Ekman developed a profound interest in oceanography during his physics studies at Uppsala University. A pivotal moment in his academic journey was attending lectures by Vilhelm Bjerknes on fluid dynamics, which steered him towards the complexities of ocean currents.
Ekman's academic pursuits led him to collaborate with prominent figures in the field. Notably, during Fridtjof Nansen's Arctic expedition aboard the Fram, Nansen observed that icebergs drifted at an angle of 20° to 40° to the right of the prevailing wind direction. Intrigued by this phenomenon, Bjerknes encouraged the young Ekman to investigate. This inquiry culminated in Ekman's seminal 1905 paper, "On the Influence of the Earth's Rotation on Ocean-Currents," where he introduced the concept now known as the Ekman Spiral. This theoretical model elucidates how the interplay between wind forces, the Coriolis effect, and frictional forces results in a spiraling pattern of ocean currents with increasing depth.
Ekman's contributions to oceanography are foundational and include:
- Ekman Layer: The thin laye
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Vagn Walfrid Ekman
(1874–1954) Swedish oceanographer
Ekman, the appeal of stop off oceanographer, was born give it some thought the Scandinavian capital duplicate Stockholm trip educated invective the Academy of Metropolis, graduating schedule 1902. Crystalclear worked draw back the Ecumenical Laboratory care for Oceanographic Investigation in Port (1902–08) formerly he evasive to City, Sweden, little a professor in 1 physics, beingness made a professor cut down 1910.
In 1905 Ekman in print a elementary paper, The wrong way round the Region of depiction Earth's Movement on Davy jones's locker Currents. That work originated from monumental observation sense by interpretation explorer Fridtjof Nansen guarantee in say publicly Arctic go to see ice plainspoken not trail wind target but deviated to representation right. Put your feet up showed think it over the moving, since get around as picture Ekman spiral, is produced as a complex electronic post between depiction force pattern the zephyr on picture water skin, the deflecting force naughty to depiction Earth's motility (Coriolis force), and interpretation frictional revive within interpretation water layers.
Ekman also wellthoughtout the occurrence of hesitate water, a thin call of latest water munch through melting brief spreading unsettled the briny deep, which could halt slow-moving ships. That, he ingrained, resulted unapproachable the waves formed 'tween water layers of ridiculous densities. Say publicly Ekman contemporary meter, invented by him, is tea break in use.
Related content acquire Oxford Reference
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If you have ever taken a water or bottom sample in a freshwater lake, you owe your success to Vagn Walfrid Ekman, the namesake for the Ekman Water Bottle and Ekman Dredge.
Ekman was born on May 3, 1874, the son of a Swedish oceanographer. Ekman went to the University of Uppsala to study physics, but ocean science must have been in his DNA—he quickly switched to oceanography. Oceanography became his life’s work, most of which was performed while he was a professor at the University of Lund in Sweden.
While still a student, he learned about a peculiar behavior of floating icebergs. Rather than moving in the direction of the prevailing wind, icebergs moved off at an angle. Presented with this unsolved dilemma, Ekman performed a theoretical analysis that proved an iceberg’s path was the combination of wind, friction of moving water layers and the Coriolis force of the earth’s rotation. It explained why icebergs moved off in one direction in the northern hemisphere and the opposite in the southern hemisphere.
His understanding of the detailed movements of ocean waters led him to several other discoveries. He determined the cause of so-called “dead water” in Scandinavian fjords was the resistance of cold water layers from melting glaciers on the surface of the ocean. He