Meanings
plural lysoclines
- The depth in the ocean below which solubility of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) increases dramatically.
1 more example
The causes of CaCO₃ dissolution above the lysocline are subject to debate and have been attributed to (i) dissolution in zooplankton guts; (ii) dissolution in microenvironments where bacterial oxidation of organic matter enhances this process; and (iii) dissolution of more soluble forms of CaCO₃, including pteropods and high-magnesium calcite.
2009 January 16, R. W. Wilson et al., “Contribution of Fish to the Marine Inorganic Carbon Cycle”, in Science, volume 323, number 5912
Origin
From Ancient Greek λύσις (lúsis, “loosening, breaking loose”) + English -cline.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Spanish lisoclina
- lisoclinalevel in the ocean
Cite this entry
lysocline. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lysocline
“lysocline.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lysocline. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lysocline,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lysocline.
Source: lysocline on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.