upwell

verb

up·​well ˌəp-ˈwel How to pronounce upwell (audio)
upwelled; upwelling; upwells

intransitive verb

: to well up
specifically : to move or flow upward

Examples of upwell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web To fertilize the Sargassum, Seafields is testing a low-energy pumping system that will upwell nutrients from a few hundred feet below the ocean surface. Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes, 7 June 2022 While the depth of the middle of the Pacific Ocean allows cooler waters to upwell, the shallower areas around tropical islands get no such relief. Matt Simon, Wired, 1 Feb. 2022 Models suggest that when the basin formed, Pluto’s equator was elsewhere, but that after the impact occurred, an underground watery ocean began upwelling into the chasm while ice gathered atop it. Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2020 The problem is often exacerbated in near-shore waters where upwelling brings cold, acidic waters from the depths to the surface. oregonlive, 24 Jan. 2020 Cold currents from sinking plates would push the blobs around like Silly Putty; in turn, upwelling heat from the warm blobs would push the plates right back. Quanta Magazine, 7 Jan. 2020 But the absence of upwelling currents there means a mass release of carbon dioxide at a depth of 4,600 feet would likely acidify the surrounding waters but not enter the atmosphere for an extremely long time. Todd Woody, National Geographic, 17 Dec. 2019 Weaker winds and a probable resulting decline in upwelling were key factors in the spiking water temperatures, according to a recent study led by Joke Lübbecke, an ocean researcher at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel, Germany. Max Bearak, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2019 The upwelling brine also contains some methane that could be siphoned off and burned. Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 17 July 2019

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

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of upwell was in 1885

Dictionary Entries Near upwell

Cite this Entry

“Upwell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upwell. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

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