Cline (hydrology)

In hydrology and related studies, a cline (from Ancient Greek (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.

Such clines and the respectively varying properties include:

• Chemocline - chemistry
• Halocline - salinity
• Lysocline - dissolution of calcite
• Pycnocline - density
• Thermocline - temperature