Thermostad Explained

A thermostad is a homogeneous layer of oceanic waters in terms of temperature, it is defined as a relative minimum of the vertical temperature gradient.^[1] The term was coined in 1966 by R. Carlton Seitz, at the time at the Chesapeake Bay Institute of Johns Hopkins University.^[2] He proposed it as in opposition to a thermocline, in which the thermal gradient is large. The ending "stad" is from the Greek word στάδην meaning "in an upright position", from the root ἵστημι meaning to stand.^{[3] [4]}

The suffix "-stad" is now widely used in oceanography.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Tsuchiya. Mizuki. 1986. Thermostads and circulation in the upper layer of the Atlantic Ocean. Progress in Oceanography. 16. 4. 235–267. 10.1016/0079-6611(86)90040-6. 1986PrOce..16..235T.
2. Web site: Michael S. McCartney . Subantarctic Mode Water . . In: A Voyage of Discovery: George Deacon 70th Anniversary Volume, M. V. Angel, editor, Supplement to Deep-Sea Research, Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp. 103-119. . 1977. See Publications - Dr. Michael S. McCartney.
3. R. Carlton Seitz . Thermostad, the Antonym of Thermocline . Journal of Marine Research . Dec 25, 1966 . 25 . 203 .
4. Web site: στάδην . Morphologia Graeca . en-academic.com.
5. News: Raymond Carlton Seitz Presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who's Who . 24-7 Press Release Newswire . Mar 5, 2019.