Laurasia
176
side of the body, and in complicated patterns of lines on the head. Detects
pressure changes including vibrations (low-frequency sounds) in water.
Laurasia the late Mesozoic continent from which the present Eurasian and
North American continents have been formed. ~continental displacement,
~Pangea.
Laurentide ice sheet ~ice sheet.
lava magma that has streamed out from the crust into the earth's surface, or rock
that has solidified from such magma.
Law of the Sea (LOS) a set of rules, established by international treaties and
international custom, governing the rights and duties of states (and individuals) concerning the sea. The LOS has been developed and codified during
three international conferences, UNClOS I, II and III. The last conference (1982)
resulted in a new convention, entitled United Nations Convention on the
Law of the Sea, abbreviated to UNCLOS III. UNClOS III has entered into force on
November 16, 1994. Certain rules ofUNCLOS III are binding upon the states
through their customary force.
layer 1, layer 2, layer 3, layer 4 the study of seismic velocities recorded under the ocean
reveals layers of increasing velocity. Rock types are characterized by such
velocities. The upper layer (layer 1) is the sedimentary layer on top of the sea
floor. Below the sediments, the basalts (layer 2) and gabbros (layer 3) compose
the oceanic basement. Below, the Moho layer (4) is encountered; extra-heavy
rocks called ultramafics are required to produce the very high velocities
observed in this layer.
layer model in numerical models of ocean dynamics in principle the equations
have to be solved for three directions in a three-dimensional grid. However,
for many problems the vertically integrated equations can be used in a twodimensional (horizontal) model. To bridge the gap between the two- and
three-dimensional approach, the ocean is sometimes divided into a number
of coupled layers, for each of which a two-dimensional approach is applied.
leaching gradual release of adsorbed solutes from sediment or soil grains to
water that percolates through the sediment or soil.
lee wave originally used in meteorology, where this term refers to waves
observed in the lee of mountains; a lee wave in oceanography is a nonhydrostatic internal or surface wave generated by a flow at the lee side of an
obstacle, or behind a disturbance that moves with a speed exceeding the
phase speed (~wave characteristics).
176
side of the body, and in complicated patterns of lines on the head. Detects
pressure changes including vibrations (low-frequency sounds) in water.
Laurasia the late Mesozoic continent from which the present Eurasian and
North American continents have been formed. ~continental displacement,
~Pangea.
Laurentide ice sheet ~ice sheet.
lava magma that has streamed out from the crust into the earth's surface, or rock
that has solidified from such magma.
Law of the Sea (LOS) a set of rules, established by international treaties and
international custom, governing the rights and duties of states (and individuals) concerning the sea. The LOS has been developed and codified during
three international conferences, UNClOS I, II and III. The last conference (1982)
resulted in a new convention, entitled United Nations Convention on the
Law of the Sea, abbreviated to UNCLOS III. UNClOS III has entered into force on
November 16, 1994. Certain rules ofUNCLOS III are binding upon the states
through their customary force.
layer 1, layer 2, layer 3, layer 4 the study of seismic velocities recorded under the ocean
reveals layers of increasing velocity. Rock types are characterized by such
velocities. The upper layer (layer 1) is the sedimentary layer on top of the sea
floor. Below the sediments, the basalts (layer 2) and gabbros (layer 3) compose
the oceanic basement. Below, the Moho layer (4) is encountered; extra-heavy
rocks called ultramafics are required to produce the very high velocities
observed in this layer.
layer model in numerical models of ocean dynamics in principle the equations
have to be solved for three directions in a three-dimensional grid. However,
for many problems the vertically integrated equations can be used in a twodimensional (horizontal) model. To bridge the gap between the two- and
three-dimensional approach, the ocean is sometimes divided into a number
of coupled layers, for each of which a two-dimensional approach is applied.
leaching gradual release of adsorbed solutes from sediment or soil grains to
water that percolates through the sediment or soil.
lee wave originally used in meteorology, where this term refers to waves
observed in the lee of mountains; a lee wave in oceanography is a nonhydrostatic internal or surface wave generated by a flow at the lee side of an
obstacle, or behind a disturbance that moves with a speed exceeding the
phase speed (~wave characteristics).