Pressure
Amount of force exerted per unit area of a surface
Depth
Downward measurement from a surface (sea level)
Boyle’s Constant
Under constant temperature, gas compresses as pressure is applied
Bends
Common name for decompression sickness, dissolved gases come out of solution and bubble into tissues
Specific Heat
The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree celcius
Density
Degree of compactness of a substance. (d - m/v)
Viscosity
A liquid’s resistance to flowing
Thermocline
Steep temperature gradient in a body of water such as a lake, marked by a layer above and below which the water is at different temperatures.
Pycnocline
Layer of water in which there is a rapid change of density with depth
Halocline
Layer of water in which the salinity changes rapidly with changes in depth
Wave
A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place
Wave Orbital
The circular motion of the water that occurs as a surface wave passes by. Wave orbitals decrease in diameter with depth, ultimately disappearing altogether at the wave base
Tide
The periodic rise and fall of the level of water in the ocean
Neap Tide
Tide just after the first or third quarters of the moon when there is the least difference between high and low water.
Spring Tide
The tide after new and full moon with the greatest difference between consecutive low and high tides
Euphotic Zone
Upper layer of a body of water through which sunlight can penetrate and support photosynthesis.
Refraction
The bending of a wave as it passes at an angle from one medium to another
Climate
Overall weather in an area over a long period of time
Weather
The condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place.
Coriolis Effect
The effect of Earth’s rotation on the direction of winds and currents.
Current
A large stream of moving water that flows through the oceans
Gyre
Circular motion of water in each of the major ocean basins
