[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 159 (Friday, September 30, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H8357]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING WALTER MUNK
(Mr. PETERS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I stand today to honor the legacy of Walter
Munk, a groundbreaking scientist and oceanographer who advanced our
knowledge of waves, ocean temperature, the Earth's rotation, and much
more.
Born in Austria, he eventually made his way to San Diego and enlisted
in the Army as World War II approached. In 1941, Munk returned to San
Diego's Scripps Institute of Oceanography to work in the U.S. Navy
Radio and Sound Laboratory.
The scope of Walter Munk's work was vast. He helped meteorologists
predict the waves troops would face in Normandy during World War II and
developed methods incorporated into modern tsunami warning networks.
His passion for his work and for San Diego also led him to push to
build the UC San Diego campus in the 1960s.
Later in life, and bolstered by years of expertise, Munk brought
attention to climate change and conferred with figures like Pope
Francis and the Dalai Lama to advocate for action. His work earned him
the National Medal of Science and the Kyoto Prize.
In his honor, I have proclaimed October 19 Walter Munk World Oceans
Day in California's 52nd Congressional District.
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