halocline

English - English

Definition of halocline in English English dictionary

a strong, vertical salinity gradient; the (sometimes indistinct) border between layers of water that contain different amounts of salt

A vertical salinity gradient in some layer of a body of water, which is appreciably greater than the gradients above and below it; also a layer in which such a gradient occurs The principal haloclines in the ocean are either seasonal, due to fresh water inputs, or permanent

In the oceans, a well-defined vertical gradient of salinity (Source: Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, 1990)

The boundary between surface fresh water and underlying saltwater in a stratified coastal environment A location where there is a marked change in salinity

In oceanography, a relatively sharp change in salinity with depth

A layer in which the salinity changes significantly (relative to the layers above and below) with depth

A layer in water where the salinity changes rapidly