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A thermocline (also known as the thermal layer or the metalimnion in lakes) is a distinct layer based on temperature within a large body of fluid (e.g. water, as in an ocean or lake; or air, e.g. an atmosphere) with a high gradient of distinct temperature differences associated with depth.
Graph showing ocean temperature versus depth on the vertical axis. The graph shows several thermoclines (or thermal layers) based on seasons and latitude. The temperature at zero depth is the sea surface temperature. The ocean temperature plays a crucial role in the global climate system, ocean currents and for marine habitats.
The buildup of warm waters towards the west also leads to a thicker layer of warm ocean water that lowers the depth of the thermocline. On average, the temperature of the ocean surface in the tropical East Pacific is roughly 8–10 °C (14–18 °F) cooler than in the tropical West Pacific.
Average equatorial Pacific temperatures Graph showing a tropical ocean thermocline (depth vs. temperature). Note the rapid change between 100 and 1000 meters. The temperature is nearly constant after 1500 meters depth.
The mesopelagic zone includes the region of sharp changes in temperature, salinity and density called the thermocline, halocline, and pycnocline respectively. [1] The temperature variations are large; from over 20 °C (68 °F) at the upper layers to around 4 °C (39 °F) at the boundary with the bathyal zone. [5]
In 2022, a major review of tipping points concluded an AMOC collapse would lower global temperatures by around 0.5 °C (0.90 °F) while regional temperatures in Europe would fall by between 4 °C (7.2 °F) and 10 °C (18 °F). [14] [100] A 2020 study assessed the effects of an AMOC collapse on farming and food production in Great Britain. [162]
Ocean temperature and motion fields can be separated into three distinct layers: mixed (surface) layer, upper ocean (above the thermocline), and deep ocean. Ocean dynamics has traditionally been investigated by sampling from instruments in situ. [1] The mixed layer is nearest to the surface and can vary in thickness from 10 to 500 meters.
The depth and sharpness of the thermocline can shift with seasonal changes and ocean currents, playing a critical role in regulating heat exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere. Abyssal Zone: Beneath the thermocline is the deep ocean or abyssal zone, where temperatures remain relatively uniform, hovering just above freezing (0°-3°C ...