21 Terms
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Oceanography
The scientific studies of the ocean.
Industry: Earth science
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Oceanography
baroclinic instability
Earth science; Oceanography
An instability associated with flows with vertical shear and meridional temperature gradients that grows by conversion of potential energy in the mean flow.
salinity
Earth science; Oceanography
A measure of the quantity of dissolved salts in sea water. It is formally defined as the total amount of dissolved solids in sea water in parts per thousand ((s)) by weight when all the carbonate ...
advection
Earth science; Oceanography
1. The process of transport of an atmospheric property solely by the mass motion of the atmosphere; also, the rate of change of the value of the advected property at a given point. 2. Regarding ...
semienclosed basin
Earth science; Oceanography
A body of seawater that does have some access to the open ocean. The Gulf of Mexico is an example of a semienclosed basin.
internal wave
Earth science; Oceanography
A wave that propagates in density stratified fluid under the influence of buoyancy forces. Internal gravity waves are also called internal waves and gravity waves. The dispersion relation is given ...
ice shelf
Earth science; Oceanography
A thick ice formation with a fairly level surface, formed along a polar coast and in shallow bays and inlets, where it is fastened to the shore and often reaches bottom. It may grow hundreds of ...
