The Crest of the Wave: Adventures in Oceanography

The author looks back on his career as an oceanographer, describes how the study of the world's oceans has changed since World War II, and depicts the excitement of studying the sea

Trained as a mining engineer but lacking a degree, Bascom joined the engineering department at UC Berkeley in the mid-1940s; his first assignment was to study waves on the Pacific coast. Ocean science was in its infancy, and the author became one of its distinguished pioneers. He took part in a project that measured the effects of nuclear explosions and was involved in the first major geophysical exploration of the Pacific Basin and the first deep-ocean drilling (MOHOLE). He has searched for offshore diamonds and minerals, worked on oceanic environmental studies and, because of a personal interest in archeology, sought sunken treasure. Here are tales of exotic places and colorful characters. Such life was not without hazard: in the early days, scientific teams drove old World War II amphibiansDUKWsthrough the pounding surf; there were narrow escapes by divers; and the sea could be rough for any vessel. It appears that Bascom and his colleagues could solve almost any engineering problem; his accounts of designing and modifying equipment are wondrous. In addition to the lure of adventure, the book offers an engaging history of modern oceanography.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Unlike other authors of recent books on the early history of oceanography, Bascom makes no pretenses to scientific detachment. Instead, he has written an opinionated first-person account of his experiences as an academic researcher and head of one of the first commercial oceanographic concerns. He describes early seat-of-the-pants efforts at Scripps to study waves, including those formed by atomic testing, and tells the inside story of what it's like to search for sunken treasure. Although Bascom's stories are engaging and frequently humorous, this book is not a good place to get an understanding of research methods and techniques, most of which are hard to visualize without diagrams and illustrations. Still, it succeeds as one person's recollection of how it was in the beginning. Susan Klimley, Columbia Univ. Lib.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.