Cline (hydrology)

For other uses, see Cline.

In hydrology and related studies, a cline (from Ancient Greek κλίνειν (klínein) 'to lean') is a comparatively thin, typically horizontal layer within a fluid, in which a property of the fluid varies greatly over a relatively short vertical distance.

Two moon jellyfish disturbing a thermocline in the top water layer of Gullmarn fjord, Sweden

Such clines and the respectively varying properties include:

• Chemocline - chemistry^[1]
• Halocline - salinity^[2]
• Lysocline - dissolution of calcite^[3]
• Pycnocline - density^[4]
• Thermocline - temperature^[5]