bomb pulse n.— «Because of atmospheric testing of nuclear bombs between 1945 and 1960, the atmosphere received a sharp spike of carbon-14, commonly called the “bomb pulse,” that has been declining to normal levels as excess...
king tide n.— «During a King Tide, which is what the islanders call the highest tides of the year, waves rolling off the ocean can have a devastating effect.…A typical high tide reaches about two-and-a-half metres, while a King Tide...
flotsamist n.— «Where and when something reaches shore depends mainly on weight, wind, and currents. Experts can study flotsam—driftwood, in particular—that help them understand ocean currents and weather patterns. Nature also provides...
whalefall n.— «The ocean is home to many weird creatures, but few that are as weird as the worms of the genus Osedax. The handful of known species of these worms feast on the bones of “whalefalls,” carcasses on the seafloor...
bubble-net n.— «A light wind blew in from the ocean, and the skipper had stopped his boat to watch three 30-ton humpback whales lunging from the waves or circling to make so-called bubble-nets in which they like to catch clouds of small...
pucker power n.— «And our golf courses likewise are mostly devoid of pretense or trickery. No Trump-built waterfalls. No carries over ocean chasms. No greens perched on mountain crags.…Challenge. There has to be an element of, as...