K 



KALEMA . A very heavy surf breaking on the Guinea 

 coast during the winter, even when there is no wind. 

 (17) 



KASPNIRO . Caspian Institute of Marine Fisheries 

 and Oceanography (USSR) . 



KAUS (Also spelled QUAS; Also called COWSHEE. 

 SHARKI) . A moderate to gale-force southeasterly 

 wind in the Persian Gulf; it is accompanied by 

 gloomy weather, rain and squalls. The Kaus is 

 most frequent between December and April. It is 

 associated with the passage of a winter depres- 

 sion, and is often followed by a strong south- 

 westerly wind, the Suahili. (12) 



KEDGE . To move, as a vessel, by carrying out an 

 anchor, letting it go, and hauling the ship up to 

 the anchor. (17) 



KEG BUOY . A buoy consisting of a keg to which is 

 attached a small pole with a flag, used by fisher- 

 men to mark the position of a trawl line. (17) 



KELP . Brown algae of the order Laminariales , in- 

 cluding the largest known algae. Kelp typically 

 grow on rock or stone bottom. They attain their 

 greatest size in cold waters, with length as great 

 as 100 feet and blades 4 or more feet in width. 

 (15) 



Kev . In nuclear physics: A unit of energy: 



1 Kev = 1.6 X 10"" ergs. A unit of temperature: 



1 Kev = 11.6 X 10^ °K 



KEY (CAY) . A low insular bank of sand, coral, etc., 

 as one of the islets off the southern coast of 

 Florida. (11) 



KINETIC ENERGY (OF WAVES) . In a progressive oscil- 

 latory wave, a summation of the energy of motion of 

 the particles within the wave. This energy does 

 not advance with the wave form. (11) 



ICNAPP BOTTOM PRESSURE GAUGE . This instrument was 

 designed for studying harbor surging. A strain- 

 gauge unit, used in connection with a pressure- 

 sensitive bellows, comprises the transducer of the 

 pressure head. The four strain-gauges in the unit 

 are connected to form a bridge circuit that is 

 linked to the recorder by an electrical cable. A 

 d.c. voltage is applied to the bridge, and the 

 record is obtained by recording photographically 

 the unbalanced current from a magnetic OSCILLOGRAPH. 

 Any standard strain-gauge recorder can be used for 

 the recording system. 



The gauge differs from other pressure gauges 

 in that no slow leak is provided to eliminate tides 

 and long period waves. In place of the slow leak, 

 a solenoid valve is installed which is held open 

 while the instrument is being lowered or raised 

 to prevent damage to the pressure-sensing element. 

 Once the instrument is in place, the valve is 

 closed electrically to seal the reference chamber 

 at an average pressure corresponding to the depth 

 of the water. (35) 



KNOLL . An elevation rising less than 500 fathoms 

 from the sea floor, having a nearly equidimensional 



plan less than 60 nautical miles across the summit. 

 (27) 



KNOT . (Abbreviation kt. or kts.) The unit of 

 speed used in navigation. It is equal to 1 NAUTI- 

 CAL MILE per hour. (11) 



KNUDSEN'S TABLES . Tables published by Martin 

 Knudsen in 1901 ("Hydrographical Tables"), to 

 facilitate the computation of results of sea- 

 water CHLORINITY titrations and HYDROMETER read- 

 ings, and their conversion to SALINITY, density, 

 and SIGMA-T. (12) 



KONA STORM . A storm over the Hawaiian Islands, 

 characterized by strong southerly or southwesterly 

 winds and heavy rains. (17) 



KULLENBERG PISTON CORER . The Oceanographic Office 

 model of this sediment sampler weighs approximately 

 400 lbs. and consists of a hard steel coring tube 

 either 5 1/2 or 11 1/2 ft. in length (the original 

 model is 70 ft. or greater in length and is made 

 up of 15 ft. sections) which employs a 5 f t . 9 3/4 

 in. or 11 ft. 9 3/4 in. (depending upon length of 

 coring tube used) plastic liner having a 2-in. out- 

 side diameter for containment and subsequent storage 

 of cores. Added weight for greater penetration is 

 provided by 50 lb. removable lead weights. A tail- 

 fin is not used for increased stability. The cor- 

 ing tube is provided with a piston which is connec- 

 ted directly to the suspension cable and rests just 

 above the core catcher in the set position. The 

 coring assembly is suspended from the short arm of 

 a balanced lever, and a counterweight which hangs 

 approximately 12 ft. below the nose-piece in order 

 to provide a 4-6 ft. free fall for the coring tube 

 is suspended from the longer arm. In practice, 

 contact with the bottom by the counterweight releas- 

 es the coring tube which has sufficient slack line 

 for a 4-6 ft. free fall before striking the bottom. 

 Contact with the bottom by the counterweight is 

 registered on the ship by slack in the suspension 

 cable or by a dynamometer and the winch is stopped, 

 thus bringing the piston to rest at or near the 

 water-bottom interface. The coring tube slips 

 over the piston and into the sediment a distance 

 which depends on its initial velocity and the 

 character of the sediment. The purpose of the 

 piston is to provide a partial vacuum ahead of the 

 core and to decrease wall friction. A core catcher, 

 usually consisting of overlapping metal leaves, 

 prevents the core from being lost as the corer is 

 raised to the surface. (35) 



KUROSHIO COUNTERCURRENT . Part of the KUROSHIO 

 SYSTEM. Between longitudes 155° and 160°E, con- 

 siderable water turns south and southwest forming 

 part of the Kuroshio countercurrent . It runs at 

 a distance of approximately 700 km from the coast 

 as the eastern branch of a large whirl on the 

 right-hand side of the Kuroshio. (24) 



KUROSHIO CURRENT (BLACK STREAM. JAPAN STREAM) . 

 A North Pacific Ocean current flowing northeast- 

 ward along the coast of Formosa, the Nansei Shoto, 

 and Japan, the main part flowing along their 

 southeast coasts, and then widening, part curving 

 southward and part continuing eastward as the 

 NORTH PACIFIC CURRENT. Part of the Kuroshio, 

 called the TSUSHIMA CURRENT, flows northeastward 

 through Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan, follow- 

 ing the northwest coast of Japan and then curving 

 southeastward to rejoin the main part of the 

 Kuroshio. The Kuroshio is a continuation of the 

 NORTH EQUATORIAL CURRENT, and forms the western 

 and northwestern part of the general clockwise 

 oceanic circulation of the North Pacific Ocean. (17) 



66 



