- published: 19 Aug 2015
- views: 12942
A thermocline (sometimes metalimnion in lakes) is a thin but distinct layer in a large body of fluid (e.g. water, such as an ocean or lake, or air, such as an atmosphere) in which temperature changes more rapidly with depth than it does in the layers above or below. In the ocean, the thermocline divides the upper mixed layer from the calm deep water below. Depending largely on season, latitude and turbulent mixing by wind, thermoclines may be a semi-permanent feature of the body of water in which they occur or they may form temporarily in response to phenomena such as the radiative heating/cooling of surface water during the day/night. Factors that affect the depth and thickness of a thermocline include seasonal weather variations, latitude and local environmental conditions, such as tides and currents.
Most of the heat energy of sunlight is absorbed in the first few centimeters at the ocean's surface, which heats during the day and cools at night as heat energy is lost to space by radiation. Waves mix the water near the surface layer and distribute heat to deeper water such that the temperature may be relatively uniform in the upper 100 m (300 ft), depending on wave strength and the existence of surface turbulence caused by currents. Below this mixed layer, the temperature remains relatively stable over day/night cycles. The temperature of the deep ocean drops gradually with depth. As saline water does not freeze until it reaches −2.3 °C (colder as depth and pressure increase) the temperature well below the surface is usually not far from zero degrees.
I’ve had a lot of people ask me about thermoclines lately so I will share here on discovercatfishing.com what I know about them and how I use thermoclines to my advantage to target lake and reservoir catfish. Being able to locate active feeding catfish on lakes and reservoirs is an important skill that a catfisherman should develop. You can mark fish all day long on your depth finder and still not persuade them to take your bait if they are not in their feeding zone. Thermoclines are best defined in lakes where there is little if any running water. The thermocline is a thin layer of water in a lake which is sandwiched between the upper layer of warmer water and the lower, colder layer of water. During the summer months, surface water is heated by the sun and the surface temp could be 85 ...
Chad explains his take on the thermocline, it's importance or relevance to fishermen and how it should be considered in your approach.
Another video about some of the things to look for on your fish finder. (Rocks, Trees, Clay, Sand, Thermocline, and baitfish) https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fishing-Partner-YouTube-Channel/335467843221608 Other videos - How to Read the Less Expensive Fish Finders http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPmzLRcA7Z8
The transitional layer
A thermocline is a thin but distinct layer in a large body of fluid (e.g. water, such as an ocean or lake, or air, such as an atmosphere), in which temperature changes more rapidly with depth than it does in the layers above or below. In the ocean, the thermocline may be thought of as an invisible blanket which separates the upper mixed layer from the calm deep water below. Depending largely on season, latitude and turbulent mixing by wind, thermoclines may be a semi-permanent feature of the body of water in which they occur, or they may form temporarily in response to phenomena such as the radiative heating/cooling of surface water during the day/night. Factors that affect the depth and thickness of a thermocline include seasonal weather variations, latitude, and local environmental condi...
There are many variables to fishing for catfish or any species of fish for that matter and choosing the right target location. There are times where 90% of the fish are found in 10% of the water and times that fish will be scattered all around the lake or reservoir. If you're going to fish in lakes and reservoirs with no current in the summer months then chances are you'll be faced with a thermocline in the body of water you're fishing. The thermocline sets in and a band of water develops in the lower third of the water column that has very little or no oxygen. Fish (like catfish) can venture down below the thermocline to feed but they can't stay there for an extended period of time. Learning when and why a thermocline develops is a great start to increasing your fishing success. Onc...
http://www.catfishedge.com - This video is part of a series regarding fishing for catfish during the warm water period when a thermocline is present and covers the basics of what a thermocline is, and how it effects catfish and all other species.
Hurricane forecasters must consider not just the temperature of the ocean's skin (the sea surface temperature), but also the depth of warm water -- called the thermocline. Water vapor evaporated from oceans is a hurricane's primary fuel. If the ocean temperature is a measure of the fuel's octane rating, the depth of the thermocline is the measure of the size of the fuel tank.
A "thermocline" is a thin but distinct layer in a large body of fluid in which temperature changes more rapidly with depth than it does in the layers above or below. In the ocean, the thermocline may be thought of as an invisible blanket which separates the upper mixed layer from the calm deep water below. Depending largely on season, latitude and turbulent mixing by wind, thermoclines may be a semi-permanent feature of the body of water in which they occur or they may form temporarily in response to phenomena such as the radiative heating/cooling of surface water during the day/night. Factors that affect the depth and thickness of a thermocline include seasonal weather variations, latitude and local environmental conditions, such as tides and currents. Most of the heat energy of su...