downwelling

[ doun-wel-ing ]

noun

, Oceanography.

1. a downward current of surface water in the ocean, usually caused by differences in the density of seawater.

Word History and Origins

Origin of downwelling¹

First recorded in 1965–70; down ¹ + well ² + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

In downwelling regions, hydrated rocks in the transition zone are pushed into the lower mantle, where they release water bound in their minerals.

From Nature

Bioluminescence, is often deployed to match downwelling light and avoid casting a shadow.

From Nature

McDougall, T. J. & Ferrari, R. Abyssal upwelling and downwelling driven by near-boundary mixing.

From Nature

Already, freshwater flooding into the oceans from ice sheet meltdowns in Antarctica and Greenland has slowed the circulation of seawater—the upwelling and downwelling that draws both heat and CO2 out of the atmosphere.

From Scientific American

The third strategy, called counterillumination, also seeks to mimic the downwelling light.

From New York Times