Chapter 11 - Heat Energy and Water Movements

Practice flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to heat energy and water movements based on the lecture notes.

Heat

Both a noun and a verb; as a noun, it refers to energy, and as a verb, it refers to the transfer of energy.

Heat Flux

The rate at which heat energy is transferred through a surface, measured in joules per second (J/s) or watts.

Heat Capacity

The amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a substance; water has a heat capacity four times higher than air.

Buoyancy

A measure of the upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of an immersed object, important for understanding the work of the wind in lakes.

Thermal Capacity

The amount of heat required to change the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree Celsius.

Eddy

A circular movement of water, typically resulting from currents moving in different directions from the main flow.

Langmuir Circulation

A pattern of water circulation in lakes characterized by the formation of elongated, spinning cells that redistribute heat and materials in the water.

Seiche

A standing wave oscillating in a body of water, often caused by changes in wind pressure or atmospheric disturbances.

Heat Budget

The total amount of heat absorbed by a body of water over a certain period, from its lowest mean temperature to its highest.

Clinolimnion

The plane above which heating occurs easily in a body of water; below this layer, heating is difficult, referred to as the bathylimnion.