thermocline

Definition

A distinct transition layer in a body of water where temperature changes more rapidly with depth than it does in the layers above or below.

Etymology

Derived from a combination of the Greek words 'thermos' (heat) and 'klinein' (to slope or slant), reflecting the layer where the temperature gradient 'slopes' sharply.

In the news

The article explains that the thermocline's depth is one of the key physical feedback mechanisms that helps govern the behavior and intensity of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation.

Global warming is intensifying eastern Pacific El Niño variability

Bioengineer.org

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