Explain the differences among the pycnocline, the halocline, and the thermocline
What will be an ideal response?
The transition zone between the surface zone and the deep ocean is on the order of a kilometer in thickness and is characterized by a rapid increase in density with increasing water depth. The very sharp increase in density is called the pycnocline; the transition zone is referred to as the pycnocline zone. In some regions this density gradient is dominated by salinity changes, and salinity rises rapidly with increasing depth. In this case, the salinity gradient is specifically referred to as the halocline. In most other regions, temperature changes dominate the density gradient, and temperature drops rapidly with increasing depth. There the transition is called the thermocline. In any of these cases, a steep density gradient forms that makes this stratification very stable.
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