ocean stratification
Sea's density layers
Ocean stratification is the layering of ocean water into distinct horizontal bands based on density differences caused by temperature and salinity.
Warmer, less salty water floats above colder, saltier water, creating stable layers that resist mixing.
This layering affects marine life distribution, nutrient circulation, and heat absorption: Climate change is increasing ocean stratification, trapping heat near the surface.
- haloclineSharp saltiness change layer
- plankton bloomsMass growth of microorganisms
- water columnVertical section of sea
- hypoxiaInsufficient tissue oxygenation
- buoyancyFluid's upward resistance
convection · El Niño · carbon sequestration · overturn · sea level rise · vertical · photic · abyssal · coral bleaching · turbulence · deep · nutrients · dissolved · temperature · thermocline · barrier · density · oxygen
- oceanographyoceanography, oceanographer, sonar, marine science, thermocline
- ocean physicscurrents, waves, tides, salinity, thermocline
- water layersthermocline, halocline, surface layer, mesopelagic, twilight zone