Thermocline
Thermocline
Thermocline (pronounced: /ˈθɜːrməˌklaɪn/) is a term used in Oceanography and Limnology to describe a layer within a body of water or air where the temperature changes rapidly with depth.
Etymology
The term "thermocline" is derived from the Greek words "thermo-" meaning heat and "-cline" meaning layer. It was first used in the early 20th century to describe temperature gradients in oceans and lakes.
Definition
In the context of Oceanography, a thermocline is a thin but distinct layer in a large body of fluid (like water) in which temperature changes more rapidly with depth than it does in the layers above or below. In the ocean, the thermocline divides the upper mixed layer from the calm deep water below.
Related Terms
- Halocline: A halocline is a subtype of chemocline caused by a strong, vertical salinity gradient within a body of water.
- Pycnocline: A pycnocline is a layer in an ocean or other body of water where water density increases rapidly with depth.
- Chemocline: A chemocline is a layer of water in a lake or similar body of water that is characterized by a gradient of increasing concentration of a chemical component with increasing depth.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Thermocline
- Wikipedia's article - Thermocline
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