Continental shelf

The underwater shelf extending from a continent out to sea to a depth of about 165 fathoms or 1,000 feet. Long period swells of about 20 seconds will begin to feel the ocean floor ...

continental shelf

Fishing; Marine fishery

Underwater portion (shelf) of the continent, with moderate inclination, extending seaward from the shore to the edge of the continental slope where the inclination increases ...

continental shelf

Geography; Physical geography

Shallow sea floor fringing continents. That part of the continental plate that is currently flooded due to modern sea levels.

continental shelf

Weather; Meteorology

The zone around the continents extending from the low-water mark seaward to where there is a marked increase in slope to greater depths.

placer

Earth science; Oceanography

A layer of minerals laid down by flowing water. People who pan for gold search through placers.

reef

Earth science; Oceanography

An underwater ridge of rock that rises up to or near the surface. Reefs are important ecosystems that provide home for sea life.

aquascape

Earth science; Oceanography

A scenic view of a body of water; an area having a natural or constructed aquatic feature (as a pond or fountain).

equatorial rossby wave

Earth science; Oceanography

An equatorially trapped westward propagating wave that moves due to isentropic gradients of potential vorticity. The meridional velocity of the n'th mode of these waves has the ...

blackbody radiator

Earth science; Oceanography

A hypothetical, ideal radiator that totally absorbs and reemits all energy incident upon it. Actual objects only approach this ideal.

shear instability

Earth science; Oceanography

An instability of an unbounded parallel shear flow to the growth and nonlinear development of waves with phase speed in the along flow direction approximately equal to the speed ...

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Industry/Domain: Culture Category: Popular culture

Dear Abby

Dear Abby is the name of the popular advice column founded in 1956 by Pauline Phillips under the pen name Abigail Van Buren. The column became a big ...