spoon·drift | /spun drɪft/
The drifts of spray seen streaking from the tops of cresting waves in gale force winds of over 60km/h, or Beaufort Force 8 and above, is spoondrift. It’s a rather odd term unless you’re privy to its Scottish roots. In the mid 18th century, the ship Spindrift was launched under Scottish command. In the Scots dialect, speen meant spoon, but speendrift meant to drive before a strong wind, as with windblown sprays of snow, sand or water – hence the Scottish crew called the ship Speendrift instead of Spindrift, which translates into English as spoondrift.
The term spindrift looked set to fade into obscurity. However, in the 19th century, it was adopted into English to describe sea spray. Over time, spindrift’s more intuitive associations with the dynamics of wave spray has seen it all but usurp spoondrift – its meaning once again broadening to mirror that of its Scots forerunner to include windborne blasts of snow and sand.
In recent years, the effect of sea spray on our climate has become a hot topic. Scientists have been releasing clouds of salt spray over Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in an effort to brighten low-level clouds, enabling them to reflect more sunlight and help protect the reef from bleaching. Researchers at the University of California have been analysing the composition of sea spray and its significant effects on cloud formation and rainfall. In the course of their work, they’ve discovered those apparently rejuvenating lungfuls of healthy sea air often contain not only salt particles but also various dusts, bacteria, and even viruses.
Introduction Aeolian Alpenglow
Benthos Crepuscular Crispate Crown shyness
Desire lines Dreich Endragoned Edgelands
Frondescence Fumarole Gluggaveður Gossamer
Karst Komorebi Lawrence Long acre
Machair Monkey’s wedding Moonglade
Psithurism Quartz Rakuyou Roaring forties
Snag Soft estate Specular, diffuse and pellucid
Spoondrift Steam fog Swash zone Sylvan
Tellurian and thalassic Terracettes Uliginous