halocline

American  

[hal-uh-klahyn] / ˈhæl əˌklaɪn /

noun

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

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halocline Scientific  

/ hăl′ə-klīn′ /

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of halocline

First recorded in 1955–60; halo- + cline

Example Sentences

The Caves episode is well worth watching in general, both for the astounding video of the halocline inside a Mexican cenote and the titanic pile of Southeast Asian bat guano absolutely livid with roaches.

From Scientific American • May 21, 2012