Physical oceanography

Physical oceanography

The scientific study of the physical conditions and processes related to the motions and physical properties of ocean currents and waters.

Industry: Earth science

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Physical oceanography

strength of ebb

Earth science; Physical oceanography

In the description of tides, the magnitude of the ebb current at the time of maximum speed. This is usually associated with lunar tide phases at spring tides near perigee or with maximum river ...

In the modeling of fluid turbulence, a technique in which eddies above a certain size are directly simulated and the effects of those of smaller size are parameterized in terms of some variable at ...

convective adjustment

Earth science; Physical oceanography

In the numerical modeling of ocean circulation, this is a process wherein, after each time step, the vertical potential density gradient is calculated and, if densier water anywhere overlies lighter ...

denitrification

Earth science; Physical oceanography

In the ocean this is the process by which bacteria use nitrate instead of oxygen as an oxidant of organic matter. It may be considered as the biological reduction of nitrate or nitrite to nitrogen or ...

fossil turbulence

Earth science; Physical oceanography

In the ocean, temperature microstructure that remains after the turbulence that presumably created it decays, i.e. there is no velocity microstructure.

euphotic zone

Earth science; Physical oceanography

In the ocean, the sunlit layer from the surface to the depth of 1% light level wherein most of the primary productivity takes place. The depth varies geographically and seasonally and can range from ...

Stommel’s demon

Earth science; Physical oceanography

In the theory of the ventilated thermocline, a deepening mixing layer allows only a narrow range of density to subduct at any geographical location. Only water of a particular density class is able ...