A long-period sea wave, potentially catastrophic, produced by a submarine earthquake or volcanic eruption. It may travel unnoticed across the ocean for thousands of miles from its point of origin, building up to great heights over shoal water. Also called SEISMIC SEA WAVE, TIDAL WAVE.
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HARMONIC FUNCTION
Any real function that satisfies a certain equation. In its simplest form, as used in tide and tidal current predictions, it is a quantity that varies as the cosine of an angle that increases uniformly with time
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GULF STREAM SYSTEM
A system of ocean currents comprised of the Florida Current, the Gulf Stream, and the North Atlantic Current.
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HARMONIC CONSTANTS
The amplitudes and epochs of the harmonic constituents of the tide or tidal current at any place
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HIGH WATER INEQUALITY
The difference between the heights of the two high waters during a tidal day
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HIGH WATER
The maximum height reached by a rising tide. The height may be due solely to the periodic tidal forces or it may have super- imposed upon it the effects of prevailing meteorological condi- tions. Use of the synonymous term HIGH TIDE is discouraged.
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GUIANA CURRENT
An ocean current flowing northwestward along the northeast coast of South America. The Guiana Current is an extension of the Atlantic South Equatorial Current, which crosses the equator and approaches the coast of South America. Eventually, it is joined by part of the Atlantic North Equatorial Current and becomes, successively, the CARIBBEAN ISLANDS, and the FLORIDA CURRENT. Also called NORTH BRAZIL CURRENT.
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GUINEA CURRENT
A North Atlantic Ocean current flowing eastward along the south coast of northwest Africa into the Gulf of Guinea. The Guinea Current is the continuation of the Atlantic Equatorial Countercurrent augmented by the eastern branch of the Canary Current.
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HALF-TIDE LEVEL
A tidal datum midway between mean high water and mean low water. Mean sea level may coincide with half-tide level, but seldom does; the variation is generally about 3 centimeters and rarely exceeds 6 centimeters. Also called MEAN TIDE LEVEL.
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ULF STREAM
A warm, well defined, swift, relatively narrow ocean current which originates where the Florida Current and the Antilles Current meet north of Grand Bahama Island. It gains its impetus from the large volume of water that flows through the Straits of Florida. Near the edge of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland extensions of the Gulf Stream and the Labrador Current continue as the NORTH ATLANTIC CURRENT, which fans outward and widens in a northeastward to eastward flow across the ocean. The Florida Current, the Gulf Stream, and the North Atlantic Current together form the GULF STREAM SYSTEM. Sometimes the entire system is referred to as the Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream forms the western and northwestern part of the general clockwise oceanic circulation of the North Atlantic Ocean.
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GROUND SWELL
A long, deep swell or undulation of the ocean often caused by a long-continued gale and sometimes a seismic disturbance and felt even at a remote distance. In shallow water the swell rises to a prominent height.
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