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

Latent heat flux

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The exchange of heat between a moisture-containing surface and atmosphere resulting mainly from the evaporation at the surface and the later condensation within the atmosphere. This is an indirect ...

Coriolis force

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The force which, acting on a given mass, produces the Coriolis acceleration. It is a fictitious force introduced to facilitate the application of Newton's second law of motion to a rotating reference ...

Meteorological tsunami

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The excitation of short period (on the order of minutes) sea level oscillations near a coast by the passage of atmospheric pressure gravity waves.

Global Temperature and Salinity Pilot programme (GTSPP)

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The primary goal ofwhich is to make global measurements of ocean temperature and salinity quickly and easily accessible to users. It seeks to develop and maintain a global ocean T-S resource with ...

Predictability of the second kind

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The prediction of an asymptotically equilibrium response (of the limiting state) of the climatic system to prescribed changes in external parameters.

Naval Ocean and Atmosphere Research Laboratory (NOARL)

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The precursor to the NRL. The precursor to NOARL was the Naval Environmental Prediction Research Facility (NEPRF), established in 1971 and functioning as a field activity of the Naval Air Systems ...

Thermosteric anomaly

Earth science; Physical oceanography

The portion of the specific volume anomaly that accounts for most of the effects of salinities and temperatures differing from the standard calculation levels of 35 ppt and 0° C, respectively. These ...