Hans Ertel

Hans Ertel Max Richard ( born March 24, 1904 in Berlin, † July 2, 1971 ) was a German scientist, pioneer of geophysics, meteorology and hydrodynamics.

Life and work

Hans Ertel began his academic career at the former Prussian Meteorological Institute, where he was influenced by representatives of the Austrian School of Meteorology ( Heinrich von Ficker and Albert Defant ) and strongly encouraged. The works of the Vienna Felix Maria von Exner - Ewarten, leading theoretical meteorologist of his time, continued Ertel and completed many of them. Early on, he developed into a capable theoretical physicist who as a young man published research or theoretical approaches in this subject. Ertel famous Wirbeltheorem ( potential vorticity ) from 1942 is now part of the base work of modern geo- physics and the cosmos. In 1940 he joined the NSDAP.

In 1943 he was awarded the position of a professor of meteorology and geophysics at the University of Innsbruck, also heard lectures by Arnold Sommerfeld. After the war, Ertel interested for a professor of geophysics at the University of Munich, instead he had a 1946 appointment as professor of geophysics at the University of Berlin, where he was also director of the members of the University Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics.

At the invitation of various scientists such as Hilding Köhler, Markus Baath and Else Rossby, with whom he shared a long-standing friendship, Ertel lectured at the Swedish University in Stockholm and Uppsala, participated in meetings, thus ensuring a good reputation of its research division at the Berlin University.

As a member of the German Academy of Sciences in Berlin (DAW ) founded and led Ertel 1948, the Institute of Physical Hydrography of this academy. 1949 Ertel was elected full member of the DAC and was from 1951 to 1961 as Vice President. During this time he led the creation of a number of new academy institutes and also made sure that during the International Geophysical year ( in 1957/58 and 1958 /59) could be made an all-German participation. In 1955 he was elected a member of the Leopoldina.

Research on Geo-Ecology, which began under his direction at the Institute, are now seen as pioneering work. The following research priorities from his time as head of the Institute enriched the scientific knowledge and disciplines to a large extent:

  • Physical hydrography (more than 60 works )
  • Theoretical hydrodynamics
  • Special hydrodynamics of the northern German lakes and coasts
  • Hydraulic Nomografie
  • Hydrographic cartography
  • The weather history of Europe
  • Theoretical mechanics (from 1960).

The results of the work has been regularly published in international and national journals (such as the monthly reports of the German Academy of Sciences ) and in the Institute's journal Acta Hydrophysica and resulted in a short time to a high international reputation of his person and his institute.

About his institute also provided Ertel for the appearance of magazines Gerlands contributions to geophysics, Journal of Meteorology, research and progress and worked even at the German literary magazine with. He continued to hold guest lectures abroad, especially at conferences, participated in research expeditions and supported transnational projects.

Personally Ertel be cared for coastal protection, the theoretical geomorphology to meteorological problems and to cosmology.

He was laid to rest on the state-owned cemetery Hessenwinkel, Biberpelzstr. 29 in Treptow- Köpenick ( location ).

Publications (selection)

In the Library of the Academy of the Berlin- Brandenburg Academy of Sciences of the following publications were deposited by him:

  • Oceanography and hydrography (Hans Ertel ) - Bremen (among others. ): AKGGP / SHGCP, Science Ed, 2006.
  • Geophysical hydrodynamics and Ertel 's potential vorticity (Hans Ertel ) - Bremen: Rönnebeck, 1991
  • A relationship between the vortex, the vortex acceleration and the acceleration potential in flow fields perfect incompressible fluids (essay)
  • Stationary drift currents in the ocean with inhomogeneous tangential stress of the wind (essay)
  • Kinematics and dynamics of dimensionally stable migratory Transversaldünen (essay)
  • Littoral abrasion and parallel to the coast Sediment Transport (essay)
  • The null space of the tangential stress in lakes during steady wind set-up (Article)
  • Theory and distribution of salinity at the sea surface as a function of evaporation and precipitation (essay)
  • A relationship between the zero surfaces of the velocity and the tangential stress in lakes during steady wind set-up (Article)
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