Songs of Thalassa

by Brian Tissot

  Shoal: an underwater reef that rises near to the ocean surface and may cause breaking waves.

  Sirius: the brightest star in the sky; binary star system used for navigation.

  Sonobuoy: a deployable ocean sonar system used to detect animal sounds.

  Space Research Council: fictional political body that creates multi-national space policy.

  Swell: a series of waves that propagate through the ocean from a storm.

  Subduction zone: a region of a planet’s crust where tectonic plates meet, one pushing below the other forming a deep ocean trench.

  Submarine canyon: a steep-sided valley-like structure cut into the seafloor.

  Symbiosis: a close biological interaction between two different organisms, often where both derive benefits.

  Teahupo’o: famous surf spot in Tahiti that breaks in shallow water.

  Tharsis bulge: elevated volcanic region on Mars.

  Tethys: moon of Saturn; primarily composed of water ice.

  Trench: a deep steep-sided region of the ocean typically near subduction zones.

  Two-wave hold-down: being held underwater over the course of two waves while surfing; can last several minutes.

  Tsunami: a series of waves caused by the displacement of water, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or collisions by asteroids or comets.

  Tube (wave): the inside of a hollow wave; riding in the tube is one of the ultimate challenges in surfing.

  Tutu: nickname for grandparent in Hawaii.

  UV: ultra-violet; short wavelength, high energy light that can damage living organisms; emitted in high abundance by the star Procyon.

  Vertical drop: the steep initial postion of riding a wave when it begins to break.

  VR: virtual reality; a simulated, real-world experience.

  Waimea Bay: famous big wave break on the north shore of Oahu.

  Wākea: a God and Sky Father in ancient Hawaiian religion and mythology.

  Wave height: the size of a wave as measured from crest to trough; surfers often underestimate height.

  Wave period: the time between the crest of successive waves; longer periods are generated from more distant storms and penetrate deeper into the ocean.

  Wave refraction: the bending of a wave as it propagates across different depths.

  Wayfinder: a person that navigates to new or unmarked places; refers to traditional Polynesian navigation across the Pacific.

  Worm portal: fictional transporter device that allows instantaneous travel through interstellar space.