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Glite Dictionary
thermohaline

thermohaline

1 9.3
How changes in water temperature and salt make ocean water move and change
  • adjective
  • /ˌθɜrmoʊˈheɪlaɪn/
  • Specialized
: termohalino
  • Changes in temperature and salinity affect the thermohaline properties of seawater.

Examples

  • And those currents are called thermohaline currents.

  • So does that disrupt the thermohaline circulation?

  • The thermohaline circulation is crucial for regulating global climate patterns.

  • Scientists study thermohaline processes to understand oceanic currents better.

Surface Forms

thermohaline positive

Morphology

thermohaline = haline (semi-transparent) = thermo + haline

The meaning is compositionally clear as 'temperature/heat' plus 'salt', but the base element is a specialized scientific form rather than a common everyday word.

Etymology

The word thermohaline combines thermo- ('heat') and haline ('salt'), so it describes how heat and salt together affect water, especially ocean currents and water properties.