Spice (oceanography)
Encyclopedia
In oceanography
the term spice refers to spatial variations in the temperature
and salinity
of seawater
whose effects on density
cancel each other. Such density compensated thermohaline variability is ubiquitous in the upper ocean.
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
the term spice refers to spatial variations in the temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
and salinity
Salinity
Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...
of seawater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
whose effects on density
Density
The mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ . In some cases , density is also defined as its weight per unit volume; although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight...
cancel each other. Such density compensated thermohaline variability is ubiquitous in the upper ocean.