water column
Liquid depth measurement
The water column is the vertical extent of water from surface to bottom in a body of water—ocean, lake, or river.
Scientists study the water column to understand how temperature, pressure, light, and life forms vary with depth: Nutrients cycle through the water column.
The term treats water as a three-dimensional space rather than just a surface.
Rapid temperature-change layer
- haloclineSharp saltiness change layer
- salinityDissolved mineral concentration
- pressureForce upon contact
- temperatureMeasured heat intensity
depth · buoyancy · hydrostatic · dissolved oxygen · conductivity · turbidity · alkalinity · upwelling
Forming successive strata
- densityMass-to-volume ratio
- gradientRate of change across space
- stabilityResistance to displacement
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
interface · seasonal · vertical · turnover · overturn · homogeneous · heterogeneous · discontinuity
Drifting marine microlife
- zooplanktonDrifting aquatic microorganisms
- phytoplanktonPhotosynthetic aquatic drifters
- pelagicOf the open sea
- biomassLiving material in aggregate
nutrients · photosynthesis · productivity · food web · detritus · microorganisms · carbon cycle · oxygenation
thermocline
Rapid temperature-change layer
- haloclineSharp saltiness change layer
- salinityDissolved mineral concentration
- pressureForce upon contact
temperature · depth · buoyancy · hydrostatic · dissolved oxygen · conductivity · turbidity · alkalinity · upwelling · downwelling
layering
Forming successive strata
barrier · interface · seasonal · vertical · turnover · overturn · homogeneous · heterogeneous · discontinuity · stratified
plankton
Drifting marine microlife
- zooplanktonDrifting aquatic microorganisms
- phytoplanktonPhotosynthetic aquatic drifters
- pelagicOf the open sea
biomass · nutrients · photosynthesis · productivity · food web · detritus · microorganisms · carbon cycle · oxygenation · algae bloom
- marine ecosystemsphytoplankton, oceans, zooplankton, marine life, krill
- layerscanopy layer, paper sheets, veneer, laminate, cloud layer
- open oceanopen ocean, twilight zone, midnight zone, mesopelagic, blue whale
- steam powersteam, steam power, steam engine, steam engines, steam turbine
- fish findersfish finder, echo sounder, depth finder, transducer, flasher
- hydrostaticsbuoyancy, fluid pressure, pressure gradient, gauge pressure, absolute pressure
water columnseafloor
Ocean's solid base
ocean floor · seabed · benthos · lake bed · river bed
water columnsediment
Particles settling in liquid
bedrock · atmosphere · air column · lithosphere · land
water, column, aquatic, dehydrate, hydrate, hydration, columnar, hydrology