5 Terms
Home > Industry/Domain > Earth science > 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
Add a new termContributors in Physical oceanography
Physical oceanography
Younger Dryas
Earth science; Physical oceanography
A post-LGM European climate regime where the retreat of the ice was reversed. The evidence for this event, which started at about 9000 BC, is strongest for the North Atlantic Basin, although there is ...
Water vapour feedback
Earth science; Physical oceanography
A positive feedback loop in the atmosphere wherein an increase in temperature increases the water holding capacity. This will lead to an increase in the amount of atmospheric water vapour which, ...
Katabatic wind
Earth science; Physical oceanography
A phenomenon that originates with a layer of cold air forming near the ground on a night with clear skies and a low pressure gradient. If the ground is sloping, the air close to the ground is colder ...
Niskin bottle
Earth science; Physical oceanography
A plastic sampling bottle with water tight clsoures at top and bottom used to collect seawater samples for discrete chemical and biological measurements. It is equipped with a subsampling spigot and ...
Modular ocean model (MOM)
Earth science; Physical oceanography
A primitive equation general ocean circulation model developed at GFDL. It is intended to be a flexible tool for exploring ocean and coupled air-sea applications over a wide range of space and time ...
Navy Remote Ocean Sensing Satellite (NROSS)
Earth science; Physical oceanography
A planned mission that apparently collapsed under its own financial weight and never got off the ground.
Evaporative cooling
Earth science; Physical oceanography
A phenomenon wherein the evaporation of water from saturated air (when, for example, it mixes with drier air) cools the air due to the absorption of latent heat.
