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

climate forcing agents

Earth science; Physical oceanography

Any of several factors which can change the balance between the energy (in the form of solar radiation) absorbed by the Earth and that emitted by it in the form of long-wave infrared radiation, i.e. ...

time series

Earth science; Physical oceanography

Any series of observations of a physical variable that is sampled at changing time intervals. A regular sampling interval is usually presumed although not required.

Polar Water (PW)

Earth science; Physical oceanography

Any water with salinity values less than 34.4 that enters the arctic domain from the polar domain in the North Atlantic. The temperatures of PW are typicall low although they can reach 3 to 5° C in ...

balanced equations

Earth science; Physical oceanography

Approximations to the primitive equations that filter out the inertia–gravity waves but retain the geostrophic motions. Examples include: planetary geostrophic equations quasi–geostrophic equations ...

leddies

Earth science; Physical oceanography

Baroclinic eddies composed of LIW as hypothesized by Millot (1999). These are posited to form as the LIW becomes unsable as it passes the open southwest corner of the Sardinian slope. They propagate ...

mixing layer

Earth science; Physical oceanography

Brainerd and Gregg (1995) define this as “the depth zone being actively mixed from the surface at a given time, generally corresponding to the depth zone in which there is strong turbulence directly ...

Carl Eckart

Earth science; Physical oceanography

Carl Eckart (1902–1973) began his scientific work as a quantum physicist, and in midcareer turned towawrd continuum mechanics. He was a member of the physics faculty at the University of Chicago from ...