- Industry: Earth science
- Number of terms: 10770
- Number of blossaries: 1
- Company Profile:
The UK charity dedicated to the protection of the marine environment and its wildlife.
The annual cyclical pattern in any atmospheric variable, whether temperature or trace gas concentration, caused by the seasons. Also called an annual cycle. The seasonal cycle or seasonal variability is one type of variability. Other types of variability include short-term (day-to-day or week-to-week), interannual (year-to-year), or long-term (decade-to-decade or longer). Thus, the amount of ozone in a particular location has a short-term variability, a seasonal variability, an interannual variability, and a long-term variability.
Industry:Earth science
The apparent increase in the semidiameter of a celestial body as its altitude increases.
Industry:Earth science
The area in which ocean waves are generated by the wind. It is generally delineated by coast lines, fronts , or areas of wind curvature or divergence.
Industry:Earth science
The arrangement of water masses in a lake or other body of water into two or more horizontal layers having different characteristics.
Industry:Earth science
The array of wavelengths and relative intensities of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a given radiator. Each radiating substance has a unique, characteristic emission spectrum, just as every medium of transmission has its individual absorption spectrum.
Industry:Earth science
The atmospheric shell in which temperature generally decreases with heights that extend from the stratopause at about 50-55 km to the mesopause at about 80-85 km. Compare to stratosphere and troposphere.
Industry:Earth science
The average level of the sea over a period of time, taking into account periodic changes due to tides and other fluctuations (such as wind waves).
Industry:Earth science
The balance of the horizontal pressure gradient and the acceleration provided by the spinning of Earth; i.e., the Coriolis force. The horizontal pressure gradient arises because of differential solar heating that occurs at different latitudes. The Coriolis force arises because of Earth's (hence the atmosphere's) spinning on its axis. See pressure gradient force and Coriolis force.
Industry:Earth science
The beach, the space between high and low tide marks, or water a little below low water mark.
Industry:Earth science
The boundary between the stratosphere and the mesosphere. It occurs at an atmosphere height of approximately 50 km; however this depends on latitude. The atmosphere is characterized by a decrease in pressure with respect to increased altitude. More important, regions within the atmosphere, like the troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere, are distinguishable because of distinct temperature gradients with relatively well-defined starting and ending points. The stratopause is the highest portion of the stratosphere, with a temperature of approximately 0°C; the stratopause can also be described as the warmest region between the mesosphere and the stratosphere.
Industry:Earth science
