epilimnion / hypolimnion
Dec. 17th, 2014 08:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
prettygoodwordepilimnion (ep-uh-LIM-nee-on) - n., (in certain lakes) the warmer, less-dense layer of water above the thermocline.
hypolimnion (hai-puh-LIM-nee-on, hip-uh-LIM-nee-on) - n., (in certain lakes) the colder, denser layer of water below the thermocline.
The former being where sunlight can warm and wind can aerate the water. And because cold, dense water is heavier, the two rarely mix -- thus why there's a thermocline in the first place. Both coined in 1910 from Greek roots, epi-, above/hypo-, below + límnion, small pond, diminutive of límnē pool, lake.
---L.
hypolimnion (hai-puh-LIM-nee-on, hip-uh-LIM-nee-on) - n., (in certain lakes) the colder, denser layer of water below the thermocline.
The former being where sunlight can warm and wind can aerate the water. And because cold, dense water is heavier, the two rarely mix -- thus why there's a thermocline in the first place. Both coined in 1910 from Greek roots, epi-, above/hypo-, below + límnion, small pond, diminutive of límnē pool, lake.
---L.
