Oceans

Amphidromic point

Location in the ocean with zero tidal range.

AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation)

A major ocean current system that transports warm surface waters from the tropics northward and cold, deep waters southward.

Centrifugal force

Outward force experienced by an object moving in a circular path.

Continental shelf

Gently sloping, submerged extension of a continent that extends from the shoreline to the continental slope.

Coriolis Effect

The apparent deflection of moving objects to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere due to Earth's rotation.

Deep water formation

The process by which dense, cold, and salty water sinks to the depths of the ocean, driving thermohaline circulation.

Ekman Transport

Net movement of surface water at an angle to the wind direction due to the Coriolis Effect.

Fetch

The distance over water that the wind has blown, influencing wave size.

Gyre

Large system of rotating ocean currents.

Hydrocarbons

Organic compounds composed of hydrogen and carbon atoms, often found in fossil fuels.

Neap tide

Tide with a smaller tidal range than average, occurring when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other.

Ocean acidification

Decrease in the pH of ocean water due to the absorption of atmospheric CO2.

Primary production (photosynthesis)

Process by which organisms, like phytoplankton, use sunlight to convert CO2 and water into organic matter and oxygen.

Rogue wave

Unusually large and unpredictable surface wave that can be dangerous to ships.

Seamount

Underwater mountain with steep sides rising from the seafloor.

Shelf sea

Shallow sea located over a continental shelf.

Spring tide

Tide with a greater tidal range than average, occurring when the sun, moon, and Earth are aligned.

Stratification

Layering of ocean water based on density, often influenced by temperature and salinity.

Thermohaline circulation

Global ocean circulation driven by differences in water density, caused by variations in temperature and salinity.

Tidal range

The difference in height between high tide and low tide.

Trough

Lowest point of a wave.

Wave height

Vertical distance between the trough and crest of a wave.

Wave length

Horizontal distance between two successive wave crests.

Wyville Thomson Ridge (WTR)

A topographic feature in the North Atlantic that plays a role in the formation of NADW.