thermohaline 1. A reference to both heat and salinity; hot salts. 2. In oceanography, of or relating to the joint action of temperature and salinity in a water mass.
thermo = heat, haline = salinity. The thermohaline circulation of the oceans refers to the deep water current that is driven by cold, dense, salty water and warm surface waters.
Refers to the combined effects of temperature and salinity that contribute to density variations in the oceans.