bathymetry

noun

ba·​thym·​e·​try bə-ˈthi-mə-trē How to pronounce bathymetry (audio)
plural bathymetries
: the measurement of water depth at various places in a body of water
also : the information derived from such measurements
bathymetric adjective
or less commonly bathymetrical
bathymetrically adverb

Examples of bathymetry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Other causes could include a rapid change in the bathymetry, or the depth of the water, Sienkiewicz said. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 23 Jan. 2024 Example of seafloor multibeam bathymetry data showing the coral mound features located on the Blake Plateau. Li Cohen, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2024 The irregular bathymetry creates steps in the wave that adds to the unpredictability and creates a spectacular platform at the base of passive, imposing sea cliffs. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2023 During the first expedition to search for SS Norlindo, scientists used autonomous underwater vehicle Eagle Ray to collect bathymetry and backscatter data to identify potential targets that may be the shipwreck. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2023 Most people credit the interplay between storms that molded an ever-changing set of islands, work done by the Army Corps of Engineers, and bathymetry for creating two of the best waves on the East Coast. Michael Adno, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2023 For proof that warmer conditions can spur violent belches, a team of scientists based in Norway looked to the Barents Sea, where high-resolution bathymetry — water depth measurements — revealed a seafloor pockmarked with giant craters, some more than a half-mile wide and nearly 100 feet deep. Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 1 June 2017 Meanwhile, Jim Moore continues helping scientists by compiling the bathymetry or underwater data he’s collected over the last five decades. Matt Miller, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Oct. 2020 This technique can measure the depth of the sea floor (bathymetry) and the backscatter, which indicates the intensity of the returning echoes detected by the array. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 28 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bathymetry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

bathymetric "relating to measurement of depth and depth-related distribution of marine organisms" (from bathy- + -metric) + -y entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1855, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bathymetry was circa 1855

Dictionary Entries Near bathymetry

Cite this Entry

“Bathymetry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bathymetry. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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