halocline

[ hal-uh-klahyn ]

/ ˈhæl əˌklaɪn /

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noun

a well-defined vertical salinity gradient in ocean or other saline water.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of halocline

First recorded in 1955–60; halo- + cline

Words nearby halocline

haloarchaea, halobacteria, halobiont, halo blight, halocarbon, halocline, halo effect, halogen, halogenate, halogen lamp, haloid

Scientific definitions for halocline

halocline

[ hăl′ə-klīn′ ]

A relatively sharp discontinuity in ocean salinity at a particular depth. In general, water with a higher concentration of salinity sinks below water that is less saline; therefore, saltier haloclines lie below less salty ones. An exception is the surface halocline of the Arctic Ocean, which is both colder and more saline than the warmer Atlantic water beneath it and which protects the polar ice from melting from below.