These terms are the condition for which that code number is to be used. The terms may be synonyms of the code title, or, in the case of other specified codes, the terms are a list of the various conditions assigned to that code.
Physical oceanography, or marine physics, studies the ocean's physical attributes including temperature-salinity structure, mixing, surface waves, internal waves, surface tides, internal tides, and currents.
Physical oceanography, like all sciences, has its own jargon or special terms. This glossary contains short definitions of the oceanographic jargon used to describe ocean surface currents on this web-site and in the cited books and papers. Phrases highlighted in capitol red letters are linked to Wikipedia.