In general, the surface mixed layer only occupies the first 100 meters of the ocean but can reach 150 m in the end of winter. The diurnal cycle does not change the depth of the mixed layer significantly relative to the seasonal cycle which produces much larger changes in sea surface temperature and buoyancy. With several vertical profiles, one can estimate the depth of the mixed layer by assigning a set temperature or density difference in water between surface and deep ocean observations – this is known as the “threshold method”.