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

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Physical oceanography

Gravitational acceleration

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The acceleration with which a body would freely fall under the action of gravity in a vacuum. This actually varies with the distance from the centre of the Earth as well as with geographical location ...

Quasi-Biennial Oscillation

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The alternation of easterly and westerly winds in the equatorial stratosphere with an interval between successive corresponding maxima of 20 to 36 months. The regimes start at about 30 km and ...

Potential evaporation

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The amount of water that would be evaporated from a land or water surface if the water supply were unlimited, as opposed to actual evaporation. The latter will fall below the former when the water at ...

Resonance angle

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The angle at which the component of the wind speed acting in the direction of a wave field is equal to the wave speed. From Baker, Jr. et al. (1966).

Expendable bathythermograph (XBT)

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The accuracy of modern XBT probes is about 0.05° C and most used are rated to 760 m depth.

Ergodic hypothesis

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The assumption that a process is statistically stationary, and therefore ensemble averaging is equivalent to averaging over time.

Troposphere

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The narrowest of the atmospheric layers, extending from the surface of the Earth to about 10 km at the Equator and 6 km at the poles near the 200 mbar level. This layer contains about 80-85% of the ...