epicontinental sea

1. Same as ocean. 2. A subdivision of an ocean. All seas except “inland seas” are physically interconnected parts of the earth's total saltwater system. Two types are ...

sea

Geography; Geography

A sea is a large body of salty water that is often connected to an ocean. A sea may be partly or completely surrounded by land.

oceanography

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The scientific study and exploration of the ocean and of the plants and animals that live in it.

ocean

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The body of salt water that covers about 70 percent of the Earth's surface. The Pacific Ocean is by far the world's largest ocean.

saltwater

Earth science; Physical oceanography

Containing water that is very salty. Oceans are saltwater bodies that are fed mainly by rivers.

red tide

Earth science; Physical oceanography

A reddish-brown area in a body of water, such as ocean or river. Red tides are caused by a sudden increase in dinoflagellates.

pseudospectral method

Earth science; Physical oceanography

In numerical modeling, an approximation which uses interpolating functions to estimate derivatives of fields represented on a grid in physical space. It is so-called because the ...

flux Richardson number

Earth science; Physical oceanography

A dimensionless number expressing the ratio of turbulent energy lost to buoyant forces to the energy gained by eddy stress acting on the mean shear. It is the crucial ...